


When The Dream Team Arrives

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: Escape the Night Fandom: The Tokens of Everlock [6]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Escape the Night (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: A Dangerous Deal, Acid, Aftermath Of Paris Opera Arc, Arguments, Awkward Flirting, Blood, Borrowed Time - Freeform, Brainwashing, Candy, Christmas In Summer (Spring), Continuation of 'If We Met', Dangerously Cute, Deal Behind Closed-Doors, Dolls, Escape Through The Sewers!!, Gen, Get-Well-Soon Gifts, Guts - Freeform, Higher Stakes Than Ever!!!!, Hunt For The Nutcrackers!!, Loss of Control, Mind Manipulation, Murder Most Horrid, Nutcracker Relay, Rat Army, Reckless Driving, References all over the place, Rest But Not Relaxation, Sickening Sweetness, Significant Color Schemes, Stepford Hotel, Stubbornness, The Grand Hotel, The Nutcracker Theme, The Return Of The Wish Blossom!!, The Substance, Trauma, Trouble As Per Usual..., Victorian era, death all around, firearms, improvising, lotus eater, magic wands, mental and physical, mental breakdowns, new names, odd friendship, pixie dust, sleds, smothering, stupid mistakes, team challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-01-06 12:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 58
Words: 38,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18388625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: Sooner or later, the three of them will reunite:The Jester, the Author...and the Defector.It's only a matter of whether or not things take a turn for the worse.That, and any one of them could die at any time...





	1. Frayed Paradise

It was gold city in here.

 

 

Whoever designed the place had taken the concept up to eleven and gotten away with it, too.

 

 

 

At the front desk, a lady with the most pronounced Scottish accent ever to exist on this earth greeted us with:

 

 

“Mornin’!

Thank ye for choosen' our hotel. We already got ye rooms ready, customized te ye liken’”.

 

 

 

Tossing out all the keys at once, it was like a box of them had suddenly spontaneously exploded!

 

 

 

I caught mine in one hand, and Alice’s slid right through her shaking grip, and onto the floor.

 

 

 

 

…It was to be expected, but still.

 

 

 

 

I dropped to one knee to grab it, and noticed a conspicuous pair of ballet flats dart over to the elevator as fast as she was able.

 

 

 

 

“Hi, can you take Alice to her room please and thank you, I’ve got to go now-“

 

 

 

 

I didn’t stop to see who in the H* I’d just said that to before disappearing after her!

 

 

 

 

Mystic…

 

 

How many times was I going to have to chase that kid down before she would switch me back!?

 

 

 

 

 

Stuck at the back of a bunch of crowding agents, I heard a general outcry of ‘To the stairwell!’ before they all stampeded through the corresponding doorway like a rabid herd of elephants.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic?"

 

 

Penelope politely knocked on the door like she hadn’t just high-tailed it up fifty-thousand flights of steps.

 

 

"Sweetheart, please let us in”.

 

 

 

"Mystic!" I called out after her.

 

 

 

Not only did she not show up, but the door also became distinctly more metallic than before.

 

 

 

 

“…We can’t get in.

 

She’s enchanted it-!”

 

 

 

Saf the Statue sighed in irritation, and tromped to the elevator, the other members of the Big 3 in tow.

 

 

 

Obviously, she was off and on her way to terrorize the woman who’d madly thrown our keys everywhere…

 

 

 

 

Sick of waiting around for her to be reasonable, I lifted a knife from some guy in a black uniform.

 

 

 

If words wouldn’t work, then maybe this would.

 

 

 

 

 

“-Never had _that_ happen before”, the Receptionist said as they returned.

 

 

It had been a good twenty minutes now, and I’d been slowly losing my mind for the last half.

 

 

 

“Usually, our guests _want_ to be visited-“

 

 

 

“Not in this case”.

 

 

 

 

She slid a skeleton key into the lock, and a soft _click!_ filled the air.

 

 

 

 

-Cue Stampede 2.0.

 

 

 

 

 

Mystic was lying in bed seemingly asleep.

 

 

Yet she didn't move when they jostled her arm.

 

 

 

Saf the Statue’s eyes darkened at the sight.

 

 

“Ro, Matt…go get some washcloths and soak them.

 

We may have a problem here…”

 

 

 

They did, and long story short-

 

 

 

"How......did you get in here?"

 

 

 

“The front desk lady let us in”.

 

 

"We found you out cold”, the Self-Proclaimed leader informed.

 

"You're lucky you didn't get a concussion”.

 

 

 

-I’m assuming she fell, but I don’t know.

 

 

 

"Go away”.

 

 

"We just want you to be safe”, Penelope insisted.

 

 

 

She groaned, and attempted to disappear under the sheets.

 

 

 

I whipped out the knife and stabbed it next to her head.

 

 

 

“-Don't even try!"

 

 

 

Saf yanked it out of the mattress, glaring.

 

 

 

"C'mon, it's the only way she's gonna do what we want…”

 

 

 

"You're forgetting _me_ ”, our resident Hypnotist sniffed.

 

 

 

"Just get out”, Mystic snapped-

 

 

Now.

 

 

 

 

For a moment, we all stood there.

 

 

Then, one by one, everybody filed into the hallway.

 

 

 

 

I didn’t want to go, but Cinna-Ro tapped me on the shoulder and whispered:

 

 

 

 

 

_Meet me downstairs in ten minutes…_


	2. Next Step?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Angel and a Devil meet.

I was NOT about to lose the only ally I had, so…

 

 

 

I did what she wanted.

 

 

 

 

“Sooo…your name is Candy Pop?”

 

 

“That’s what those witches said, yeah…”

 

 

“Very cheerful.

 

I like it!”

 

 

 

Here we were, sitting at a table in the hotel’s café.

 

 

 

Waiting for someone to take our orders.

 

 

 

“Okay…”

 

 

 

And?

 

 

 

“Why are we meeting, exactly?”

 

 

 

Cinna-Ro finished neatly folding a napkin into her lap.

 

 

 

“Well, I…don’t really know anything about you, but…

 

 

 

I want to help”.

 

 

 

“Help”.

 

 

 

“Yeah”.

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

 

“Because I don’t think it’s fair that you’re trying to get your own body back, but nobody listens to you”.

 

 

 

“…Are you sure you want me to?”

 

 

 

 

By now, she’s gotta know that on some level, at least, I’m not a friendly little snowflake like she is.

 

 

 

 

“I do”.

 

 

 

“…What is it with you and being kind to everybody?”

 

 

 

She smiled and my mind was blown.

 

 

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?

 

Life’s too short to waste on hate...”

 

 

“-You should put that on a T-shirt”.

 

 

“Maybe I will”.

 

 

 

 

“Sooo…”

 

 

 

I nodded to the agents milling around, grabbing the keys they’d left behind in the initial rush.

 

 

 

“Know anybody who can help me out?”

 

 

 

“Calliope, maybe…”

 

 

 

She bit her lip thoughtfully.

 

 

 

“But I don’t know.

 

You said back in the Palais Garnier that you could defeat the Cursed God…

 

 

 

What would that make you?”

 

 

 

“…A Demon.

 

-Don’t judge”.

 

 

 

“I won’t-

 

Ohhh, but she probably will…”

 

 

 

Great.

 

 

Back to Square One within the span of a few seconds.

 

 

 

 

What lovely progress we were making!

 

 

 

 

“…What about Alice?

 

I think she has some kind of Dream power or something-“

 

 

“Alice…”

 

 

 

I let out a bitter chuckle.

 

 

 

“Yeah, wouldn’t surprise me.

 

That kid spends 90% of the day stuck in all the Crazy that goes on in her head…or so she affectionately calls it…”

 

 

 

“Do you think she could-?”

 

 

“I don’t know what to think”.

 

 

 

Truth be told, she’d blow her brains out if she attempted to do _anything_ in this state of mind…

 

 

 

“As much as I would love to press it, now is not a good time”.

 

 

“-How come you press it with Mystic then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

 

 

“Because unlike her, if I accidentally drive the Author insane, I’ll end up causing a mental B.S.O.D…for like, a week”.

 

 

“B.S.O.D?”

 

 

“Blue screen of Death”.

 

 

 

“Oooh…”

 

 

 

“Yeah.

 

Not good”.

 

 

 

Cinna-Ro knit her brows together, digging even deeper for a solution-

 

 

 

“Maybe Penelope would know something.

 

She knows so much about everything…”

 

 

“That’s dangerous…”

 

 

 

I shuddered.

 

 

The memory of what she’d done to Mink was still fresh…as well as what it had caused.

 

 

 

“…It’s looking like our best bet, anyway”.

 

 

“‘Our’?”

 

 

“Yeah!”

 

 

 

That d*nd grin again…

 

 

 

 

“We’re in this together now”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have too much fun leaning on the Fourth Wall (if it's not broken by now...XD ).


	3. Babysteps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lazy time rolls by...

After what seemed like a million years, the waiters finally delivered our sandwiches, and we ate in silence.

 

 

Upon saying our farewells…

 

 

 

It was time to go track down where I’d be staying in this overly-luxurious place.

 

 

 

 

The letters and numbers engraved on my key led me to ‘F3, N6’.

 

 

Floor three, number six?

 

 

 

I shoved the key in the lock, and twisted.

 

 

 

 

This was creepy.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I said that.

 

 

 

 

The color scheme was purple, blue, and red with green trimming for good measure.

 

 

Now how did they know!?

 

 

 

 

Unnerved, I walked over to the window and looked out.

 

 

 

There was the fountain, bubbling quietly…

 

 

 

 

-And how was _this_ going to blow up in our faces this time?

 

 

 

-

 

 

For the entire next week, it was virtually a ghost town.

 

Pretty much everyone appeared to be holed up in their rooms except for me.

 

 

Even the front desk lady had gone conveniently off-duty, leaving me to root through her stuff if I wanted to know where Alice was staying.

 

 

 

_-What kind of receptionist has no records!?_

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

Anyway…

 

 

 

No way I was going to do that-nope.

 

 

 

 

Nada.

 

 

 

 

 

So…

 

 

 

I basically just wandered around the place trying not to look like I didn’t have anywhere better to be.

 

 

 

Mystic’s room would’ve been great…

 

 

 

 

But.

 

 

As I was now, cold, hard steel was a strong deterrent.

 

 

 

 

D* you…

 

 

 

 

How long are you going to do this for!?

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Where did everybody go?

 

 

One minute it was all noisy and loud, and now…

 

 

 

There was nobody!

 

 

 

 

It was sort-of peaceful, but also kind of worrying.

 

 

Saf and Matt kept watch over Mystic’s room all day long, and she never came out once.

 

 

 

Not to eat,

 

Not to drink,

 

 

 

Not to even _talk!_

 

 

 

It was so scary…

 

 

 

 

I felt like I was seeing somebody die right in front of my eyes.

 

 

 

 

“…Should we go in?”

 

 

 

My brother-from-another-mother also looked pretty nervous…

 

 

 

“Yeah, Saf.

 

This is beginning to look like-“

 

 

 

“I know, I know…”

 

 

She put a hand to her temple, massaging it.

 

 

 

She’d been doing that a lot lately…

 

 

 

 

...A part of me always worried that the Bat Person would come back, because of it.

 

 

 

 

“We still need a way in, however…”

 

 

 

 

“B*, I will **_kick_** that door down if I have to!” Nikita yelled.

 

 

“Wouldn’t you break all the bones in your foot?” Manny asked.

 

 

 

“Not if I do it with these steel-toed boots I won’t!!”

 

 

 

“-No, we need to be subtle about this”.

 

 

 

Safiya shook her head.

 

 

 

“Every other time, she’s been able to hear us coming-“

 

 

 

“And escape!?”

 

 

 

 

The Troublemaker looked like smoke was about to pour out of her ears!

 

 

 

“Not on my watch, sista’!”

 

 

 

BANG, **BANG-**

 

 

 

“What in blazes are you doing!?”

 

 

 

Penelope peeked around the corner, confuzzled.

 

 

 

“Some of us are trying to sleep you know!”

 

 

“Yeah, what did that Door do to you?”

 

 

 

I jumped at the unexpected voice.

 

 

 

It was Candy Pop…

 

 

 

 

“Mystic might be trying to kill herself”.

 

 

 

“Excuse me!?”

 

 

“Wait, WHAT!!??”

 

 

 

“-Girl, you better still be alive when I get in there!!”

 

 

Nikita’s thunderous shout garnered no response, and my heart **dropped**.

 

 

 

**THWACK-**

 

 

 

The door flew open!

 

 

 

We all raced inside as fast as our feet could take us!!

 

 

 

Oh…

 

She did NOT look good…!

 

 

 

“Matt, Ro…”

 

 

Safiya sighed.

 

 

 

“You know the drill by now…”

 

 

 

 

I nodded and hurried off after Matthew.

 

 

 

 

It was time to get more of those cold cloths!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her eyes fluttered, and I almost cried with relief!

 

 

 

"Mystic, What in the name of sanity were you thinking?" Penelope’s eyes flashed with anger.

 

"You nearly got yourself killed!" 

 

 

 

"That was the idea”, she mumbled.

 

"I **wanted** to kill myself of course".

 

 

 

But…

 

 

 

…

 

Oh no…

 

 

 

"You know, that's a stupid f*ing idea…”

 

 

 

Candy Pop’s eyebrow was twitching with either annoyance or stress, I don’t know which.

 

 

 

"Do you think I give two s*s about that?

 

I just wanted to be somewhere with peace for one d* minute”.

 

 

 

"Well, if you had succeeded in what you were trying to do, you would've been gone for _more_ than a minute”.

 

 

 

The technicality had the girl rolling her bloodshot eyes.

 

 

 

 

"Well, I guess you can't win them all”.

 

 

 

 

 

Penelope blew an errant strand of hair out of her face in irritation.

 

 

"Mystic, you're being extremely irresponsible and dangerous.

 

Not just to yourself, but to others as well. If you die, the Cursed God will unleash his fury and h*l hath no fury like he would”.

 

 

"Well, the only other alternative is to marry him", she rebutted.

 

"And I sure as h* don't want that".

 

 

 

"No, there IS another alternative”, Safiya pointed out as she returned from the bathroom with new cloths.

 

"And it's to find the tokens”.

 

 

 

"So you want six more people to die!?”

 

 

"No, but I certainly don't want **YOU** dead either. Why would you even consider killing yourself?"

 

 

 

"I just want this to end”, she whispered.

 

"Can't any of you comprehend that?"

 

 

"We understand, Mystic”, the Hypnotist soothed.

 

"We want this to end just as much as you do, but your death is not going to be the answer to that. Now just let me be alone with you for a few moments, and I think you'll find that I can perhaps persuade you to see things our way—“

 

 

Oh dear.

 

I don’t think that’s-

 

 

"Not a chance in h*!”

 

 

I knew it.

 

I knew it-

 

 

 

"I am _not_ letting you hypnotize me!"

 

 

"Well, unless you make some sort of vow that you'll never try to kill yourself again, I may have no other choice”.

 

 

 

She gave us another rolling of the eyeballs, and tried to pull the covers of her bed up over her face-

 

 

I reached out, and touched her wrist.

 

 

 

"Please, Mystic, just promise us you won't try to kill yourself again…”

 

 

...Please?

 

 

 

"You scared me half to death when we found you”.

 

 

 

"I don't know if I can make that promise…”, she sighed.

 

"But even so, hypnosis isn't the answer”.

 

 

 

…Penelope thought about this for a moment.

 

 

 

"Then we'll simply have to stay with you!”

 

 

"What? No!"

 

 

"I think it's for the best right now”, I admitted.

 

 

 

I began to softly pat her head…

 

 

 

"I NEED my alone time, though”.

 

 

"Didn't you get enough of that when you tried to run away from us?"

 

 

 

She picked up a pillow and threw it!

 

 

“-!!”

 

 

-There was a grunt from the far corner as it struck Candy Pop in the stomach.

 

He dropped all his food from the cart!

 

 

"I swear to **God** , if you weren't in Alice's body, I would've probably strangled you by now”.

 

 

"I'd like to see you try!”

 

 

 

_I_ wouldn’t…

 

 

 

"-I like the idea of staying here”, Safiya agreed.

 

"Just to monitor her, see how things turn out”.

 

 

"I concur”, Matt seconded.

 

 

"Then it's settled!”

 

 

Penelope looked very satisfied.

 

 

"Don't _I_ get a say in this?"

 

 

"Not for the time being”.

 

 

 

She groaned and pulled the covers higher until my hand and her head were almost eaten.

 

 

 

 

…Well, baby steps, right?

 

 

...

 

 

 

Right.

 

 

 

 

(And maybe I'd finally get to ask Penelope that one, simple thing-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N'aww, Rosanna is so much fun to write...<3


	4. The Last Straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From bad to worse in a heartbeat.

This kid…

 

 

Was something else.

 

 

 

Day 1:

 

 

'No, I don’t want food!'

 

 

 

Day 2:

 

 

(F* this, I’m just gonna sleep all day)

 

 

 

Day 3:

 

 

'Stop trying to offer me medicine!

 

I’m perfectly fine-'

 

 

 

Yeah.

 

Whatever you say…

 

 

 

 

Day 5:

 

 

[And repeat].

 

 

 

 

 

It went on like this for a time, until Day 15, or so...

 

 

 

 

At which point…

 

 

 

 

I’d been standing by the doorway like a good little Watchdog pretending to nod off ‘cause I’d heard a stupidly obvious rustling coming from the bed.

 

 

 

And sure enough…

 

 

 

 

Footsteps had silently padded up to me…

 

 

A cold hand had brushed by my elbow on its way to the knob-

 

 

 

 

_Gotcha._

 

 

 

 

My own hand had snapped around her wrist.

 

 

 

“Where you goin’ Mystic?”

 

 

 

Her eyes had widened, and she'd stumbled away, stifling a cry of shock!

 

 

 

“Wh-

 

WHAT-!!??”

 

 

 

“News flash: They knew you would try something like this, so here I am”.

 

 

 

“Yeah, well…”

 

 

 

Recovering like a pro, she'd whispered furiously at me.

 

 

 

“How about you let me through?

 

I can’t just _stay_ here-“

 

 

 

“How does N-O sound?”

 

 

 

“Like you’re about to wish you hadn’t said that!”

 

 

 

It was as if a bubble of rage had burst-

 

 

 

She'd whipped out a Wish Stone, and quietly shouted:

 

 

"I wish that I was the only one who would be able to get Candy Pop out of Alice's body”.

 

 

 

 

One golden flash later, and she’d scampered off to bed again, leaving me to wonder what in the **h*** had just-

 

 

 

!!

 

 

 

 

How _dare_ you, **you-**!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

-Cut to Day 16.

 

 

“How could you do this to me!?”

 

 

"We were just trying to help you”, Penelope sighed for what seemed like the billionth time.

 

 

 

 

Once again, that **rat** had refused breakfast after freaking out over her little failed attempt.

 

 

 

 

"Well, you're not helping by acting like helicopter parents!"

 

 

"Who was the one who tried to sneak out of the room last night?"

 

 

"It would've worked, if you hadn't stationed that demon by the doorway”.

 

 

 

"Just eat something, please”.

 

Cinna-Ro’s voice broke.

 

 

 

If she verbally smacked her-

 

 

 

"I'm not hungry!”

 

 

 

She proceeded to sway on her feet, prompting Saf the Statue, and Theater Nerd to hurry to her aid at once.

 

 

 

"You haven't eaten in a week!

You need something-“ he insisted.

 

 

"I'm starting to wonder if there's some merit to having Penelope hypnotize you”, she wondered.

 

"We really don't want you to die”.

 

 

 

"And I want to get back into my old body!”

 

 

 

We speared each other with twin glares.

 

 

 

"I'm not gonna help you, you selfish b*d!”

 

 

 

"Oh. I'M selfish!?”

 

 

 

I scoffed at t **he nerve-**

 

 

 

  
"Who's the one trying to commit suicide?"

 

 

 

"Call suicide selfish one more time, and I'll get you out of that body and place it inside of a statue of Christ!"

 

 

 

"Well”, I spat.

  
"Looks like I may have touched a nerve”.

 

 

 

…D* it.

 

 

She’d rattled me good, and we both knew it.

 

 

 

"You're d* right you did! Why the h* are you even here?

 

 

Get out”.

 

 

 

H-hey!

 

 

 

"I was just trying to---"

 

 

 

**“OUT!!”**

 

 

 

 

 

—Remember when I said she’d never been wildly angry before, even when b*ing at me?

 

 

 

 

...I may have to retract that statement.

 

 

 

 

 

At any rate, I furiously crunched my hands into my eyes, and stormed out of there feeling like I was humiliatingly going to cry.

 

 

I’d been ruthlessly shutout, and I’ll be d*ed if it didn’t _hurt._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Ouch.


	5. Patching The Wound(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rift is finally healed.

Ugh…

 

 

I couldn’t believe this.

 

 

 

How in the **h*** had things gotten so d*d out of hand!?

 

 

 

 

Sparks showered from my fingertips, and burnt little holes into the carpet every so often.

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t control it anymore…

 

 

 

 

 

I guess I’d finally snapped.

 

 

 

 

_Oh, really?_

 

 

I mentally snarked.

 

 

 

_What gave that away, the stuffed-up nose, or the burning, “non-existent” tear tracks-_

 

 

 

 

“What happened to you?”

 

 

 

…What was her name?

 

 

...I don't remember?

 

 

 

She looked at me, all concerned…

 

 

 

“Nothing”.

 

 

 

I noticed a red-and-white striped present clutched in her hands-

 

 

 

 

“What’s that for?”

 

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

 

She followed my gaze.

 

 

 

“Oh this?”

 

 

 

Held it up to the streaming sunlight, causing rainbow sparkles to dance across the glossy ribbon.

 

 

 

“We all decided to give Mystic ‘Get-Well-Soon’ gifts…the front desk lady promised to have somebody bring them all up to her later…”

 

 

 

“…Huh”.

 

 

 

 

An idea struck me.

 

 

If she wouldn’t accept what I had to say…

 

 

 

 

Maybe she would accept what I had to give...?

 

 

 

 

 

It took me a bit to figure out just what to add to the growing pile of goodies heaped haphazardly upon the front desk, but when I _did_ finally figure it out-

 

 

 

I blanched.

 

 

 

 

Nope.

 

 

No way!

 

 

 

 

I was a fool for even considering-!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

I still went out of my way to go lift a standard copy of the Holy Text from the bedside table of my room.

 

 

 

 

 

_Aaah…!_

 

 

The first teeth of pain ripped into my fingers as I gingerly grasped the edges of the brown, leather covering.

 

 

 

_Just up, and over…into the pre-prepared stuff._

 

 

I tried to reassure myself.

 

 

 

_Easy, peasy…_

 

 

 

 

It was **NOT**.

 

 

 

 

The longer I held onto it, the longer my hands smarted with agony-

 

 

Even as I wrapped it up in electric-blue paper I could feel it tearing its poisonous way through my nerves!

 

 

 

 

“Ow…s*…!”

 

 

 

 

If this didn’t work, I **swore-**

 

 

 

 

Having to practically grind my teeth into my jaw just to keep from exclaiming every five minutes, I proceeded to get the darned ribbon into its proper place.

 

 

 

 

…Uggghhhh, it was like I was purposely incinerating my hands over an open flame-

 

 

Burn marks began to show up on my skin.

 

 

 

 

…Hope you don’t mind, Alice.

 

 

 

 

 

It was STILL.

 

 

**BURNING** ME!!

 

 

 

 

HOW!?

 

 

 

 

I’d suffocated it in five layers of tissue paper, and everything-

 

 

 

 

Striding right up to Mystic’s front door, I heard:

 

 

"I thought I told you---!"

 

 

 

 

Cut through my eardrums like a knife.

 

 

 

 

Thank **God**.

 

 

 

 

Something else to focus on…

 

 

 

 

"I just came to give this to you”.

 

 

 

 

I dangled it in her face, stomach churning in nauseous agony.

 

 

 

"Oh”.

 

 

She blinked with shock, and immediately seemed more subdued.

 

 

"Um, thanks, I guess”.

 

 

 

 

"There's more from the others, but......this one's from me”.

 

 

 

 

_Please_ take it from me already-!!

 

 

 

 

 

She did, and I internally sighed with relief.

 

 

 

Upon leaving, I immediately rushed to the nearest bathroom!

 

 

 

 

I had to inspect the damage as soon as possible-

 

 

 

 

 

…It was _bad._

 

 

It was _really_ bad-!

 

 

 

 

 

Frantically turning the handles of the sink, I drowned my peeling, bleeding, **blood** -red hands in freezing, cold water.

 

 

“Ow-!”

 

 

 

I bit my lip.

 

 

 

This was _not_ going to heal so easily.

 

 

 

 

 

The next few days, I avoided her like the plague.

 

 

What was I _supposed_ to do?

 

 

 

Stick around for more punishment!?

 

 

 

 

She’d made it clear that she was done listening…

 

 

 

 

 

I had a hunch that not even Ro’s kindness would be able to help me now.

 

 

 

 

 

My hands were still rubbed raw.

 

 

 

 

Physically, aside from that, I was fine.

 

 

Mentally, I was starting to hit a very dangerous place.

 

 

 

 

It was beginning to look like-

 

 

No.

 

 

 

 

It **was.**

 

 

 

 

I was going to be stuck as Alice forever-

 

 

 

 

And there wasn’t a single thing I could do to prevent that from happening.

 

 

A dangerously-unpleasant warmth attacked my insides-

 

 

 

 

 

 

FLASH

 

 

 

 

“F* me!!”

 

 

 

Where in the -!?

 

 

 

“What the h*?”

 

 

 

What now?

 

 

 

 

 

In front of me was a small pile of gifts, and a stack of cards.

 

 

 

It was the presents from the Writers…

 

 

 

 

Wonder what she’d thought of mine.

 

 

 

 

"Hey”.

 

 

 

I nearly jumped out of my shoes.

 

 

 

Turning on my heel, I sighed.

 

 

 

 

Of course…I WOULD get sent here.

 

 

 

 

"What? You wanna yell at me some more?"

 

 

 

Go ahead.

 

Drive the knife in deeper, why don’t ya?

 

 

 

Not like I wasn’t already teetering on the edge of Despair as it was…

 

 

 

Instead, she shook her head.

 

 

 

"How are your hands?"

 

 

 

-?

 

 

 

I felt my defensive walls get hit with a nuclear **bomb**.

 

 

My guard was immediately disarmed and dismantled so effortlessly-

 

 

 

 

What the actual **f*!!??**

 

 

 

 

 

"My what?"

 

 

 

"Your hands”.

 

 

 

…

 

 

Sigh…

 

 

 

I held them out, too tired to fight with her anymore.

 

 

 

"You.....gave me a Bible”.

 

 

"Yup”.

 

 

"I'm so sorry. You didn't need to go through all that”.

 

 

 

She looked genuinely upset.

 

 

 

"I did”, I countered.

 

“I do really want out of this body, but.....I was being such a huge _jerk_ back there…”

 

 

I’m sorry.

 

 

 

Swallowing your pride is not fun.

 

 

 

 

Don’t do it.

 

 

 

 

 

"I accept your apology”.

 

 

 

…Good.

 

 

 

 

"So, are we cool?"

 

 

 

She nodded ‘yes’…

 

 

 

"Sure”.

 

 

 

 

 

Silence fell.

 

 

 

We simply stared at each other for a few seconds.

 

 

 

 

"So, uh, you wanna maybe stay here tonight?"

 

 

I thought I detected a sliver of hopefulness in her tone.

 

 

 

 

…Did you…

 

 

_Actually miss me?!_

 

 

 

 

What a weird turn of events.

 

 

 

 

 

"Sorry, but my room's pretty b*n’. They definitely customized it to me”.

 

 

 

No matter how creeped out I was…still had to sleep _somewhere_ after being kicked-out.

 

 

Once I'd gotten over the initial sketch factor, it actually **was** a pretty good place to be.

 

 

 

"Oh…”

 

 

 

Yeah, that was definitely disappointment I was seeing…

 

 

 

Well…

 

Too late now...

 

 

 

 

Don't regret it too much...

 

 

 

 

 

“-Before you go, I wanna see if you can help me identify this”.

 

 

 

 

She led me over to a book lying open on the dresser and pointed out a certain entry:

 

 

 

_12th October 1976_

 

 

_My quest to find an apprentice to pass my techniques onto continues with a possible success._

 

_Looking through the Society's files, they dictate those who will be born on certain days, gifting them with certain abilities._

 

 

_I've searched through lunar and solar charts, chronological cartography records, psychological alignments, season and weekday tables._

 

_The most potent Seers and Mystics are those with high levels of empathy and  creativity._

 

 

 

_And now I have finally found potential._

 

 

 

_A summer child, roughly 21 years ahead._

 

 

 

 

_Penelope cannot know about this, especially not when SHE is in control._

 

 

 

 

"Any ideas of why Calliope wanted me as her apprentice?"

 

 

 

I shrugged.

 

 

 

"Your guess is as good as mine, kid.

 

 

In the meantime, I'll see if I can find something about this mystery, or mysteries, but otherwise, I gotta hit it.

 

 

 

Night”.

 

 

 

And with that, I slipped out the door.

 

 

 

 

 

I’d just barely stepped _foot_ into my room when it happened again!

 

 

 

FLASH_!!?

 

 

 

"What the h*?” I said for the second time that night-!!

 

 

 

"We've got major trouble”.

 

 

It was Mystic, as per usual…

 

 

 

"We have to warn the others and we have to leave this hotel.

 

The receptionist isn't letting people go.

 

 

 

It's a training ground for servants and slaves to the Cursed God, and that b* is trying to sniff me out!”

 

 

 

Running to where the others were currently catching a few z’s, she flicked the lights on and off until they collectively stirred.

 

 

 

"What's going on?"

 

 

 

Ro rubbed her eyes with one hand, and yawned like a kitten.

 

 

 

"The hotel receptionist lady is working for the Cursed God”, Mystic blurted in a frenzy.

 

"We gotta get out of here”.

 

 

 

"Get oot of here?”

 

 

 

The Big 3 plus me hurried to make a protective circle around her as the front-desk lady toddled in.

 

 

 

 

"Why woold ye ever want te leave, especially when we weell be haven a special guest comen here soon?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh.
> 
> Is that why Envy got deposited here!?


	6. One-Track Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, you knew this was coming, didn't you? (:

"Weell, weell, weell”, she chuckled.

 

"I fegured ye'd come roond here. Yer just as bonny of a lass as the Cursed God has said ye are. So ennocent an pure. No wonder he wants ye so badly”.

 

 

"So what? You're gonna just take me to him!?”

 

 

"Oh nay…”

 

 

She shook her head, and my stomach tied into knots.

 

 

“That'd be too easy. I'm just goen to undo tha' li'l spell ye put on my hotel”.

 

 

Taking a large stone from her pocket, she whispered something.

 

 

Gold flooded away from us-

 

 

Then she rubbed it three times.

 

 

"Master, et's me”, she announced triumphantly,

 

"I've got ye bonny bride stayen at my hotel........Aye, she's en my sight........She put a spell on et originally........I remove et for ye.......Ye'll be here whee'?.........I understand.........Aye, I'll keep her untel yer here”.

 

 

She slipped it back into her pocket as the implications of what she’d just said sank in.

 

 

"Excuse us, b*!” Blonde Bouffant declared:

 

"But Mystic's not going anywhere with that creep, and neither are we!"

 

 

"Weell then, I'm afraid ye have no choice en the matter," she sniffed as she suddenly appeared in the doorway along with a few miscellaneous writers.

 

"Cause what my master wants, he always gets!"

 

 

"Not this time, hon!” Disco Dad countered.

 

 

 

 

"I thenk our special guest might desaree with ye."

 

 

 

 

 

“You mean…Envy?”

 

 

I couldn’t help myself.

 

 

 

I mean, _come on!_

 

 

 

What, did they just shelve the guy somewhere and completely forget he existed!?

 

 

 

No…

 

 

 

No, something bad must have happened to him otherwise he would have _definitely_ found his way here by now!

 

 

 

 

 

“Who es tha'? I neever heard of an ‘Envy’!” 

 

 

“He got paired with Calvin recently…?”

 

 

 

 

Her blank look shifted to one of sudden comprehension.

 

 

 

 

“Ah. Tha' young mon!” 

 

 

“W-what do you know about him!?”

 

 

Mystic sounded fearful, and I honestly couldn’t blame her.

 

 

 

“I know he's gone an' swetched sides. Calven always gets what he wants one way or another, jus' like my master".

 

 

 

 

The way she said that made me think of slash fic.

 

 

 

 

…Alice would blow a gasket.

 

 

 

 

 

"That's a lie!

  
He'd never do that!"

 

 

 

...In fact, he'd probably die first.

 

 

 

"Ye so sure aboo' that?"

 

 

She taunted.

 

 

"I _also_ know hes kind's go' a few genes tha' coold be useful te us. I heard one of them maks hem a bloodthersty keller for who he's worken for".

 

 

 

 

My jaw nearly hit the floor!!

 

 

 

**What!?**

 

Since **when!??**

 

 

Mystic gulped, and I worried.

 

 

 

"...Se, enstead of acten se stubborn, hu aboo' ye surrender nice an peacefully, aye?"  

 

 

 

Yeah, **no.**

 

 

 

 

I snuck around the edge of the room to a nearby table, and picked up a heavy vase...

 

 

 

**CRASH~**

 

 

 

She shuddered once, and fell still as I rammed it down onto her smug face!!

 

 

 

"Is she....?"

 

 

"Don't know, don't care, just run!"

 

 

 

 

 

...Mystic made a break for the corridor-

 

 

 

 

I could hear the soles of her shoes slapping off into the distance, and I exhaled.

 

 

 

 

 

…Maybe she could do it.

 

 

 

Maybe she could get away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for perfect aim!
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I have no idea if I got Front Desk Lady's speech patterns right.
> 
>  
> 
> Ah well...I tried.


	7. Hallway Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a certain artifact's concept gets utilized here.

She was punching the ‘down’ arrow like nuts when we finally caught up to her-!

 

 

"Wait!

 

What about the others?"

 

 

Once again, Ro was worrying about everyone but herself.

 

 

"We need…to secure a spell on this hotel…”

 

 

"But still, it wouldn't hurt to warn them”.

 

 

Sighing, Mystic pulled out a Wish Stone:

 

 

"I wish all of the other guests, writers, and agents were in the lobby”.

 

 

 

The usual golden flash…

 

 

 

The doors to the lobby banged open, and…

 

 

 

“S*”.

 

 

L., Bird Girl, Dooper, Blonde Bouffant, Disco Dad, Muse.

 

 

 

All caught up by clowns…

 

 

 

 

I didn’t know where Alice was, but her not being here right now was a good sign that she, at least, was safe.

 

 

 

Miss Purple Hair, the Boss of the Bunch, dumped L. in Harley Quinn’s arms, and yanked Mystic out of there right as the elevator was closing-

 

 

 

 

We all rushed out of there after her!

 

 

 

 

"Well, well, well!

 

What do we have here? A queen and two potential brides!"

 

 

 

"Potential brides?" Moony asked, confused.

 

 

 

"Oh, you didn't here? Morticia and Magician are gonna fight it out for the Carnival Master's affections”.

 

 

 

"Magician?”

 

 

 

Mystic looked like she was gonna start breathing flames in a minute…

 

 

 

"That b* over there”, she clarified, pointing to L.

 

 

 

"So you're giving us nicknames now?" Dooper gasped.

 

"What's mine? What's mine?"

 

 

 

"Can it, Stuntpig!"

 

 

 

…Somehow, I didn’t think that was what he’d had in mind, as hysterical as it was.

 

 

 

Purple Hair took out a star-patterned bag, and opened it.

 

 

"Oh, oh, can I do it?" the Psycho Cheerleader bounced.

 

"I wanna do it! I wanna do it!"

 

 

Cue rolling of the eyes.

 

 

…Still handed it over, though.

 

 

 

"This is basically the Collar of Control, but in pixie dust form”.

 

 

 

…Collar of Control?

 

**H*** no!!

 

 

 

We all went for the girl at once-

 

 

 

A small droplet of dust landed on her anyways.

 

 

 

She tried to shake it out, only to receive the dunking of the entire bag’s worth!

 

 

 

“Heheheheh, hahahahah~!!”

 

 

 

"What the h*d you just do, b*?”

 

 

Blonde Bouffant was understandably having none of it.

 

 

 

"She's gonna be more obedient than you were!"

 

 

 

 

-A second later, she got a face-full of glitter, and retreated, sputtering.

 

 

 

"Let's get her out of here!" Penelope yelled.

 

 

 

"Going somewhere?"

 

 

 

Alright, NOW was it Envy!?

 

 

 

 

“H*……probably....."

 

 

 

 

Nooo, it was NOT-!!!!!

 

 

 

"I don't think so”.

 

 

 

 

 

And the Cursed God smiled devilishly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh crud.


	8. A Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to do?

Without further ado, Mystic plummeted to the floor-

 

 

 

The Big 3 hurried to catch her, arms opened wide!

 

 

 

 

 

Psycho Cheerleader also dropped to the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

…Sleeping = side effect?

 

 

 

 

 

I dunno…

 

 

 

 

 

"Well, at least that's over with”, Saf the Statue sighed.

 

 

 

 

 

And then Harley Quinn had to ruin it by handing over another bag of Dust.

 

 

 

 

"You really think it was gonna be that easy?"

 

 

 

-Actually, forget that!

 

 

 

 

She was just gonna take it and fling it in Ro’s face _herself_!!

 

 

 

 

The nicest out of like, all of us, began to cough violently, as Theater Nerd attempted to shield her and everyone else in vain.

 

 

She too, sank to the carpet in a dead faint.

 

 

 

 

"In fact”, the Joker laughed, "We got a whole bunch of these thanks to those blueprints our master's little bird told us about”.

 

 

 

He headed towards me while saying that…

 

 

 

 

 

I prepared to kick him in the nuts.

 

 

 

 

 

Luckily, everyone else caused a major distraction by shooting incredulous glares at…

 

 

**Bird Girl.**

 

 

 

“I-I swear”, she stammered squirming nervously in the Mouse's grip.

 

"I'm NOT who he's talking about!”

 

 

 

"Are you so sure about that?" Angel Wings sniffed.

 

 

 

 

…For once, her target wasn’t me.

 

 

 

 

"Nah, she's right”, Purple Hair supported.

 

"Larky's not with us”.

 

 

 

"But wait”, Harley Quinn wondered.

 

"Shouldn't she--?"

 

 

 

All further talk was cut off by the sudden arrival of the Mutated Logan Paul.

 

 

 

He was carrying someone firmly in the crook of his Enlarged arm…

 

 

 

 

Alice, **NO-**

 

 

 

 

"Where did you even get these blueprints anyway?" Moony spat.

 

"And furthermore, blueprints for what!?”

 

 

 

 

"Blueprints for a doomsday device that'll put Mesmera over there to shame!”

 

 

 

I.E. Penelope.

 

 

 

"I'd like to thank you for them, Calliope”, the Cursed God oozed in that stupidly deep voice of his.

 

"Without them, we would never have had my bride in the vulnerable state she's currently in”.

 

 

 

"YOU'RE the traitor?" the Baby of the Bunch yelled as the accusatory stares swapped from Bird Girl to Muse.

 

 

 

"No”, Brown Leather said adamantly.

 

"I _know_ she's not”.

 

 

 

Angel Wings continued to act like a stone-cold b*.

 

 

 

"A likely story”.

 

 

 

"I swear”, Muse replied calmly despite the stressful circumstances.

 

"I would **never** work for him”.

 

 

 

"Oh really?" the Cursed God smirked.

 

"So then I suppose I just _happened_ to stumble upon Mystic's future record back in 1976? I see now; you 'accidentally' **let** Lilith see them”.

 

 

 

"You leave her out of this, you dolose mongrel!"

 

 

 

 

…Who was Lilith again-

 

 

**WAIT-**

 

 

 

"Why would I? She is a janizary of mine, after all. My most dutiful and loyal one at that. And now if you'll excuse me, my bride and I have a wedding to prepare for”.

 

 

 

"Not a chance in **H*** are you taking her away!!”

 

 

 

Penelope rent Mystic from Purple Hair, leaving several deep scratches on her wrist as she did so.

 

 

 

 

"Safiya, Matt, grab Ro!"

 

 

 

 

"-But what about Envy!?”

 

 

 

 

Admit it, you wanted to see him show up here in all his planty glory just as much as Alice did.

 

 

 

 

At my outburst, a red-headed Butler-looking guy stepped over to me.

 

 

 

"I'd actually like to offer a proposition regarding him-“

 

 

 

 

"Not interested”, I said immediately.

 

 

 

Nuh-uh!

 

 

 

The day to make a Traitor out of me will have to wait when I’m _not_ in danger of being killed.

 

 

 

 

He shrugged.

 

 

 

"I suppose you don't want to see him that badly then…”

 

 

 

 

Oh _h*_ , no!

 

 

Now he had my attention-

 

 

 

"I'm listening…”

 

 

 

 

"It's quite simple; bring Mystic to us in her vulnerable state and we'll give you Envy, safe and sound”.

 

 

 

 

…Drat.

 

 

 

 

Mystic could not be allowed to marry that jerk-in-heartthrob’s clothing.

 

Alice’s mind would suffer, and then…

 

 

 

So would we.

 

 

 

 

The stories that she had written up and left hanging in that crazy brain of hers would collapse and leave us stranded…

 

 

 

 

-But if I was gonna figure out what was going on with him, Calvin, and the Outside of this debacle, Envy needed to be **Here-**

 

 

With **Us**.

 

 

 

 

"I'll let you muddle over it for some time”, the Butler offered me.

 

"When you're ready to hand her over, just give out a call”.

 

 

 

 

…His shoes clacked away from me, as I made a split-second decision:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was gonna **TRICK** the h* out of him!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be fun...


	9. Mind Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can a Truth Serum really do it!?

“Oh hey, there you are.

 

Where were you?”

 

 

 

Of course, I came back to hear Theater Nerd asking me something I couldn’t answer.

 

 

 

"I was.......talking with someone”.

 

 

 

 

Technically not a lie, people…

 

 

 

 

"Okay…”

 

 

 

 

Penelope looked suspicious, but didn’t press it.

 

 

 

Ro and Mystic were laid out upon the bed of this random guest room, and she shuffled some of the dust coating them through her fingers.

 

 

 

"This is modified pixie dust.

 

-That is, if you're going to call it by its street name. This one is specified to both obedience and to be a truth serum”.

 

 

 

"Truth serum!?”

 

 

 

 

I turned to see Blonde Bouffant and most of everybody else framed in the doorway.

 

 

 

Saf the Statue raised both eyebrows in surprise.

 

 

"How did you get away from them?"

 

 

 

"Plot convenience”, Bird Girl shrugged.

 

 

 

Dooper did a double-take.

 

 

"Okay, seriously, you gotta give me some of the drugs you're taking”.

 

 

 

"Well”, I smirked.

 

 

In that case…

 

 

 

"I've got a few questions to ask Lil Miss Mystic”.

 

 

 

Maybe _now_ she’d cough up that answer as to why she kept running from everyone else, all the d* time…

 

 

 

 

"How.....powerful of a truth serum is it?”

 

 

 

 

"Extremely”.

 

 

 

 

…I made a mental note to go bug one of my bros for some later.

 

 

If I ever got out of this, that is…

 

 

 

"Even the smallest morsel of this can make you tell the entire truth”.

 

 

 

 

 

...Okay, now I was definitely going to go do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Um, I've got a few questions to ask her as well”, said Blonde Bouffant.

 

 

"So do I”, Saf the Statue added.

 

"But I think we can all get the answers we're looking for”.

 

 

 

"Mystic, tell us the truth. Why do you make self-deprecating comments and jokes about yourself so much?"

 

 

 

"Because the social skills classes, bullying, isolation, and abuse in my childhood made me feel like being autistic is wrong, and I'm scared to get hurt again if I was so open about my strengths”.

 

 

 

Ack…

 

 

Stop talking so cute!!

 

 

 

"My turn!

 

Why the h* did you try to kill yourself twice?"

 

 

 

"Because I thought that if I was dead, the Cursed God would have no reason to go after you all”.

 

 

 

"I mean, I guess by some vein of logic”, Bird Girl chimed in,

 

"That makes sense”.

 

 

 

Penelope frowned at that.

 

 

"Yes, but she's wrong”.

 

 

 

"Okay, enough beating around the bush. It's my turn for an answer now”.

 

 

I got as close as I f*in dared.

 

 

 

If she went all Exorcist on me…

 

 

 

"I want to know the full and complete truth of this; what are you doing trying to get away from everybody who wants to help you!?"

 

 

 

…

 

 

She was silent, and they were all staring at me oddly for the fifty-billionth time.

 

 

 

"What? Was it a dumb question?"

 

 

 

"No”.

 

Saf shook her head.

 

 

"It's just I've been wondering the same thing; I didn't think anyone would ask her”.

 

 

 

"Come to think of it, I wanna know too”, Other Mystic confirmed.

 

 

 

“Yeah”.

 

“Me too”.

 

“Me three-“

 

“Mm-hm!”

 

 

 

-Her mouth started to move, and they all went dead SILENT.

 

 

 

 

 

"The........the truth......the truth....is.......is”.

 

 

 

"Yes? Yes?"

 

 

 

She stopped.

 

 

 

"No”, I chuckled nervously-

 

"This isn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to get a f*ing answer!"

 

 

 

"She must be extremely reluctant to give that away”, Penelope proposed.

 

"Even a truth serum as powerful as this is a match for a stubborn mind…”

 

 

She sighed.

 

 

 

 

“Try asking her again."

 

 

 

I took a _deeeeep_ breath…

 

 

 

"What are you doing trying to get away from everybody who wants to help you!?"

 

 

 

 

Her mouth opened for Take 2.

 

 

 

"The truth is........that.........that........."

 

 

 

 

Hope fluttered in my chest, and I briefly entertained the idea that this could actually go RIGHT for a change…

 

 

 

 

"The truth is that..........it's none of your d* business”.

 

 

 

 

My heart dropped.

 

My eye began to twitch…

 

 

 

“Mystic…”, I started through clenched teeth.

 

"If you don't give me the truth, I'm gonna f*ing strangle you”.

 

 

 

Like you’d threatened to do to _me_ , once…

 

 

 

"That IS the truth!”

 

 

 

 

Defeat mixed with anger, and my mind wandered back to what that Butler had told me.

 

Maybe Mr. I’m-So-Wonderful could do what I couldn’t!

 

 

 

Wait-

 

 

**NO**

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t supposed to be thinking like that!!

 

 

 

 

Ugggghhh, but Envy needed me thoughhhhh….

 

 

 

 

 

It ate away at me like **acid**.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic”, Bird Girl piped up softly.

 

"I know this might be a stretch, but do you know who Lydia Waverly is...or was?"

 

 

 

"Somewhat…”

 

 

 

"Is she a part of solving this mystery?" A. quavered.

 

 

 

 

She is.

 

 

 

 

 

"Then who is she?" Sparkles growled impatiently.

 

 

 

 

"She.........she was a princess”, Mystic began.

 

"Back in the Medieval Renaissance, or MidRen for short”.

 

 

 

"What does she have to do with this?" Glorious asked.

 

 

 

"She.........got into a muddle with some witches......and the Cursed God.......that's all I know”.

 

 

 

 

 

O **h, GOD** like Guinivere!!??

 

 

 

 

That kid who’d gotten **fracking** murdered!?

 

 

 

 

 

-Her eyes slid closed, and she slumped back into the pillows.

 

 

 

A horrified tumult broke out as everyone screamed in a panic!!

 

 

 

But not me.

 

 

 

 

"She's still breathing”.

 

 

Don’t worry…

 

 

 

Everyone sighed with relief.

 

 

 

"So we've basically learned nothing new”, Moony complained.

 

 

 

"No, we found out a few things”, E. corrected:

 

 

"We have a little more info on this Lydia chick. Time period is a huge indicator. If we can find accounts involving those eras of time, we can figure out more about how she relates to our mess”.

 

 

 

 

As the Theory Slinging began, I had a weird moment in which I found myself staring at a blonde girl in a blue dress curled up in the corner, tightly trapped in fetal mode-

 

 

 

Oh my God, it was me!!

 

 

 

"I......I have to get that answer”,  she trembled.

 

"I have to see Envy”.

 

 

 

My head tilted from one side to the other like a clock, and I could almost see the black-and-white spirals twirling in her fevered eyes.

 

 

 

 

Had I…

 

 

 

Had I finally snapped!?

 

 

 

 

Why in _the h*_ was that answer so important to me anyhow!!??

 

 

 

 

Frustration coiled in her… _my_ veins, and I saw it objectively.

 

 

I saw it **all**.

 

 

 

 

I was evil/gray in terms of morality to begin with, and now I was hitting rock bottom.

 

 

 

Especially since that Serum had utterly **failed** me…

 

 

 

 

"I'll call out for Arthur tomorrow night," he giggled under his breath.

 

"Then everything will be okay!”

 

 

 

Um, excuse you, NO, I had a plan for that-

 

 

 

 

 

But my own brain wasn’t in a listening mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh...


	10. Body Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Houston, we got a problem.

Trick him.

 

 

TRICK him, you idiot!

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t make myself stop giggling as my Mary-Janes marched me emphatically back to my room.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you DARE do that stupid thing of kidnapping Mystic in the middle of the night-!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

...I may as well have been talking to a brick wall.

 

 

 

 

 

My hands moved on their own, and opened the door.

 

 

 

They shut it, and latched the lock.

 

 

 

 

They went for the scissors I’d used earlier on to wrap her present-

 

 

 

 

 

A **weapon.**

 

 

 

 

 

NO.

 

 

 

 

This’ll be perfect…

 

 

 

 

NO!!

 

 

 

 

…For once, my Dark Side and I were in agreement over something.

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever was controlling me right now…

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted OUT!!

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, I nervously snitched an apple from the buffet and high-tailed it up to Mystic’s place.

 

 

Extra pixie dust was strewn everywhere from yesterday’s fight, and I nearly sneezed several times.

 

 

 

…You’d better be there.

 

 

 

 

I saw her, brunette hair plumed out around her like a halo, still slumbering peacefully-

 

 

Oh, wait- 

 

 

S*, that’s right!

 

 

 

 

I leaned back against the adjacent wall, and felt a wave of terror wash over me.

 

 

 

She’d gotten sprayed with that Mind-Collar crap, too…

 

 

 

 

Now what?

 

 

 

 

 

Mysti **c is a sitting duck-**

 

 

 

I barreled out of there, feet dragging all the way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaning over the bathroom sink, I tried to make my hands splash some of that Arctic water on my face.

 

 

They wouldn’t budge.

 

 

 

 

Come on…!

 

 

 

 

 

Somebody came in behind me, and I almost jumped out of my skin!!

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling their eyes bore into the back of my head in confusion, they slooooowly closed the stall door.

 

 

I looked up at myself in the mirror.

 

 

 

 

 

I looked like H*.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to tell somebody!

 

…But how?

 

 

 

 

Casually wandering over to a group of Writers, I…

 

 

I tapped Angel Wings on the shoulder.

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

 

Her eyes narrowed.

 

 

 

 

She would believe me, right?

 

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

My tongue would NOT move-!

 

 

 

 

“H-hey!”

 

 

“…Hey what?”

 

 

 

Say it, you dum-dum!!

 

 

 

“N-nice weather we’re having…”

 

 

 

 

Her eyebrows practically lifted off of her forehead.

 

 

 

 

“Uh, yeah, I guess…”

 

 

 

 

 

It was pure sunshine outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crap.

 

 

What, I can’t SPEAK about it!?

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently not.

 

 

 

 

 

I poked E., and wound up spouting:

 

 

 

“…Can I borrow your pen?”

 

 

 

 

She shrugged.

 

 

 

“Sure”.

 

 

 

 

I buzzed around Bird Girl while she typed up some Roila fluff on a public computer:

 

 

 

“That’s a cool story”.

 

 

 

 

She beamed at me.

 

 

 

“Thanks!!”

 

 

 

 

I hung around sooo d* much that Water One got fed up with it, and said:

 

 

 

“Uh, can we help you or something!?”

 

 

 

 

“No”.

 

 

 

 

-I clamped a hand over my mouth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I fled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo, boy.


	11. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This day just gets worse, and worse.

…I was practically **shaking** with frustration!

 

 

 

There had to be a way that I could get someone’s attention without compulsively saying or doing anything that might make me look like a Grade-A Freak!!

 

 

 

 

 

My fists clenched and unclenched…

 

 

 

 

 

 

My nails dug into my flesh, and made them **bleed**.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait.

 

 

 

 

 

I looked at them, at the blood-red strands flowing to life in my palms…

 

 

 

 

 

They were no better than usual, but they had just given me a killer idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Never mind how painful this was going to be…

 

 

 

 

 

 

KNOCK-KNOCK!

 

 

The door creaked open, and a reporter guy in tweeds gave me the once-over.

 

 

 

“…Can I help you, young lady?”

 

 

 

“Yup!” I said confidently.

 

 

 

“Can I…”

 

 

 

-Ask to borrow your Bible?

 

 

 

 

The words never made it out of my mouth.

 

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

He sighed.

 

 

 

“Look, child, I don’t have all day, just spit it out-“

 

 

 

 

 

I turned stiffly, and strode away.

 

 

 

 

 

Un-f*ing-believable!!!

 

 

 

Whatever the h* was going on with me, it was fr*n smart!

 

 

 

 

And it would probably mess me up if I tried to go after one on my own…

 

 

 

 

 

-Well, it couldn’t hurt to try.

 

 

 

 

I attempted to enter the first empty room I saw, and my legs went **RIGID**.

 

 

 

“Wha-!?”

 

 

 

 

(…I mean, what was I expecting, really…)

 

 

 

 

... _Right_ next to the stairs.

 

 

 

 

 

I plummeted past the door of F3, R1.

 

 

My forehead smacked off the plastic-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, folks.


	12. Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! Extreme gore.

I woke up in my room, head spinning.

 

I tried to sit up, and almost vomited-

 

 

 

There was no sign of who’d put me here, or how, or why…

 

 

 

 

 

…Still wasn’t enough to keep me from getting up like a robot when night finally fell.

 

 

 

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

 

 

 

…What the actual f*!?

 

 

 

Where the **h*** had the disembodied voice come from?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was pitch-dark around here, and my eyesight was currently s*.

 

 

 

 

 

Still managed to find my way to Mystic’s room…

 

 

 

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

 

 

 

 

There they were sleeping like little angels.

 

 

I gently prodded Mystic’s scalp, praying for some reason, that there was still some powder left-

 

 

 

Oh th **ank God.**

 

 

 

 

I tapped her on the shoulder.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic, wake up!”

 

 

Maniacal giggling that would make even Horace jealous.

 

 

 

 

Her eyes shot wide-open, and I would’ve jumped if I’d had control of all my faculties.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic, get out of bed and follow me”.

 

 

 

"I will…”

 

 

 

 

…She sounded like she was drugged.

 

 

And here I was dragging her off to who-knows-where…

 

 

 

Cackling like a MADMAN all the while.

 

 

 

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory-----

 

 

 

 

I punched the ‘Call’ button on the elevator, making sure to keep tabs on the Sleeping Beauty behind me-

 

 

 

 

They dinged open.

 

 

 

 

 

"What do you think you're doing?"

 

 

 

 

 

Gee, I don’t know what does it look like!?

 

I’m totally not stealing your girl without you knowing…

 

 

 

She snatched her away, and hit ‘Down’.

 

 

 

Wait-

 

 

 

I struggled to speak, but all that came out was:

 

 

"But....but....but......but...but..but..but....."

 

 

 

 

Nonono, you can’t leave, I might actually need HELP this time-

 

 

 

 

 

 

The doors pinged shut, and I was left in darkness.

 

 

 

 

I stood there, completely numb, for a good five minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, my feet moved on their own, and swung me back around, stronger and faster than ever before-

 

 

 

 

I entered my room.

 

 

I picked up the scissors again.

 

 

 

 

Why?

 

I don’t know!

 

 

 

Don’t ask me!!

 

 

 

 

 

All I know is, I went down to where the authors were sleeping.

 

 

I hefted one, and brought her to Mystic’s place, just around the corner-

 

 

 

Then I went back down and got another.

 

 

 

 

The deadly weapon felt heavy in my hands.

 

 

 

 

 

….Oh, crap.

 

 

 

 

 

I opened the blades, jangled them together a few times for some emphasis-thing that I wasn’t even aware of-

 

 

And plunged them into A.’s throat.

 

 

 

 

Blood spurted everywhere, but hey!

 

 

 

 

 

At least her death was quick.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I went for the other one-

 

 

Glorious Galaxy…

 

 

 

Right?

 

 

 

 

More blood spurts, and this time, I dug in harder.

 

 

 

 

 

_Deeper…_

 

 

 

 

 

All the way down to the bones of her spinal cord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh, hello, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one.

The mouse ran down.  
Hickory Dickory Dock.

 

 

 

 

 

…It was ME.

 

 

 

 

That’s who was singing…

 

 

 

 

 

I jumped from one body to the next, carving up the flesh, making flower patterns out of pure muscle, and bone.

 

 

Arranging them so that the pile of guts served as the table, and the rest as the partygoers…

 

 

 

 

 

AllI needed now was a clock.

 

 

 

 

 

That _accursed clock…!_

 

 

 

 

 

I slipped downstairs, and stole one from the front desk.

 

 

Then I placed it atop the pile, and stepped back to happily survey my handiwork.

 

 

 

 

 

…Dig my sarcasm, yeah?

 

 

 

 

 

 

But all bad humor aside, if THIS didn’t get me Voted Up, then I didn’t know what would…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-I shoved my hand down A.’s mouth, up to the elbow.

 

 

 

Hey, whoah!

 

 

Hold up…now what are we doing here?

 

 

 

 

I yanked it back, and her jaw snapped off.

 

 

 

 

 

Two slain one for each of the goals.

 

 

Each day you fai

 

 

 

 

 

I was smearing this across the wall, like h* I wanted to broadcast THIS!!

 

 

Why was I even doing this?

 

 

 

Why!?

 

 

 

 

 

…I ran out halfway through, my right arm stinking of copper to High Heaven and H*.

 

 

 

 

 

Time to go refuel…

 

 

 

 

Oh goody, this again…

 

 

 

 

I stuck my arm down Glorious’ throat this time.

 

 

 

 

Her heart throbbed at my fingertips, and I milked the entire cavity for all it was worth.

 

 

 

 

 

….By which I mean I accidentally ripped her esophagus apart trying to get my hand out.

 

 

 

The copper smell was even stronger now…

 

 

 

 

 

il I take one pair of souls.

 

 

 

 

 

Piece one and piece two.

 

 

 

Put ‘em together, and whaddya get?

 

…

 

 

 

Excuse me, what!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What have I just done!?
> 
> This is nightmarish...


	13. Insane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

…Okay, this was officially getting out of hand.

 

 

 

Sorry, but neither of those ‘goals’ seemed all that important to me!

 

 

 

_Now_ , anyway…

 

 

 

 

 

Satisfied? with the disgustingly beautiful mess stuck right in front of my eyes, I headed off to go do…whatever.

 

 

 

...Actually, no, apparently I was gonna go back to my room, and act like absolutely nothing had happened.

 

 

 

 

No death…no random dismembering…

 

 

No sudden promotion into Villain of the Week.

 

 

 

 

I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

 

 

At least, I thought I was…

 

 

 

 

 

I had a hideous nightmare in which I couldn’t move, and the two girls I’d just killed stood there, staring at me like Angels of Doom the entire time.

 

 

 

 

 

I woke up the next morning, and was almost physically sick.

 

 

Alice…Alice…Alice…WHY weRE YOU NOT PHYSICALLY ACCLIMATED TO MARINATING IN BLOOD!!??

 

 

 

 

I ran out of there in a hurry, dodging at least five people who all rubbernecked at the sight of me.

 

I barely made it to the porcelain throne before everything I’d eaten in the past _week_ came up-

 

 

 

 

 

 

_It was a lovely, and fragrant sight-_

 

 

It almost beat out the stench of humanity draped all over me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…Alright fine, I sat there for a minute, dazed, and then threw up all over again at the sight of it.

 

 

  
Happy now?

 

 

 

 

Somehow, I scrambled to my feet, and practically fell against the mirror, leaving panicked, bloody handprints on the glass.

 

 

Stepping back-

 

 

 

 

My eyes were **black holes.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was literally a walking red cadaver whose grin was perpetually stretched to the corners of my ears even though pretty sure I was grimacing right now-

 

 

 

 

 

 

-And I _smelled_ like it, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shower.

 

 

NOW

 

 

 

 

 

The cold water made me yelp as soon as I whipped on the faucet, but it did nothing to get the stank out of my system.

 

 

 

 

In fact, if anything, it just made me feel like I’d been slapped in the face!

 

 

 

 

What in the **H*** _had I done last night!?_

 

All that work to survive and get my body back wasted in an instant-

 

 

 

 

Not to mention the _hu-u-uge_ wave of backlash coming my way!!

 

 

 

 

 

What the f* was I thinking!!??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nooo, I wasn’t thinking, was I…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watching the blood swirl down the drain…kinda couldn’t help feeling like it was my Life I was seeing slip away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to walk back to my room as calmly as possible.

 

-I failed miserably!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-The first thing I noticed were the blatantly-obvious footprints positioned right next to my bed.

 

 

 

 

 

Good job…

 

 

Whispered in my ear.

 

 

 

 

“NO!

 

Go away!!”

 

 

 

 

“Thanks, I know…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

S*.

 

 

 

S*…

 

 

 

 

 

It was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh....!!!!


	14. Ripple Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When what you do has an impact.

The next time I went to mechanically open my door, I forgot what I had to leave for until I’d completely abandoned the idea.

 

 

 

…Okay then.

 

 

Didn’t know what was up with that…

 

 

 

 

 

 

This seemed to frustrate ‘me’ to no end when the moon rose up and that ‘Two goals, two lives’ thing went by.

 

 

 

Having already figured out that trying to get out of here wouldn’t f*ing work no matter what ‘I’ did-

 

 

 

 

 

I would pace restlessly, racking my brains for some way out…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why would I want to leave?

 

 

 

 

-

 

-Alice-

 

 

I woke up earlier than usual from a fitful sleep.

 

Ever since the deaths of Authoress and Summer, I couldn’t seem to stay out cold for very long…

 

 

 

And my throat was dry.

 

 

 

 

 

Woozily getting to my feet, I was about to go wander to the ice machine for a glass of water when a strong scent of blood wafted from the front desk…

 

 

 

 

Light spatters decorated the wood…

 

 

 

 

 

Why was the clock missing?

 

 

 

 

 

I stood there for a good ten minutes, frozen.

 

 

Thinking.

 

 

 

 

Then, I saw the prints behind the counter.

 

 

 

 

They led upstairs, a long, long ways…

 

 

 

 

 

Right to about the outside of Mystic’s room-

 

 

 

 

 

!!?????

 

 

 

 

 

I almost screamed at the hideous sight before me, but it firmly clung to the back of my throat in a horror that had been reduced to stark nothingness, this was just too much for me to understand-

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t even tell that they’d ever been human, and not a pair, of lifeless, broken dolls.

 

 

 

…They were just dolls-!

 

 

 

 

 

**KNOCK-KNOCK-**

 

 

“Guys?

 

Open up!”

 

 

 

I somehow managed to speak.

 

 

 

As soon as the door opened, I fell to the inner carpet, feeling intensely light-headed.

 

 

 

"There's something outside---"

 

 

 

“We know”, Matt said.

 

"We saw it ourselves”.

 

 

 

"Candy Pop's gone completely off-the-rails. It was probably because of the answer I gave him”.

 

 

 

 

…Him?

 

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

 

Was this his style?

 

 

 

 

 

I knew that he was a killer like most Pastas, but…

 

 

 

 

 

 

He didn’t seem the type to just randomly do something like that in these kinds of circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

I still remembered his only- _too_ -relieved reaction to not being voted in that first time…

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Just tell him the truth!” Penelope said tiredly.

 

 

 

"The truth is that it's none of his d* business. And it's not yours either!"

 

 

 

"Well, he's clearly not going to accept that for an answer, and if you don't give the real answer to him, I will douse you in the truth serum, get you drunk, AND hypnotize you”.

 

 

 

 

"THAT **IS** THE REAL ANSWER, YOU **B***!” Mystic screamed loudly enough to shatter a flowerpot, and my poor ears-

 

"YOU KNOW, I'M **SICK** AND **TIRED** OF YOU THREATENING TO ENTRANCE ME. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, I'M NOT SOME SORT OF **DOLL** THAT YOU CAN PRACTICE YOUR **F*ING** MAGIC ON!!”

 

 

 

 

She stomped away without any fanfare, and slammed **SHUT** the bedroom door.

 

 

 

 

 

I sat there for a second in complete, and utter shock.

 

 

 

 

 

“…I’ll walk you back downstairs to your room, if you would like”, Ro offered.

 

 

I could only nod in response.

 

 

 

-

 

-Rosanna-

 

 

The next morning, Matt, Safiya, and I went down to tell them the news.

 

 

It was not very fun having to say that:

 

 

 

“We’re sorry…”

 

 

 

 

“Why!?

 

What happened?”

 

 

Angel, Lovely, and Aqua were on their guards instantly.

 

 

 

“Where are Alina, and Galaxy!?”

 

 

Tristen, Tegan, and Bird were all fearful, staring up at us with eyes full of dread.

 

 

 

 

 

“They were murdered last night”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fun...ugh.


	15. Reasons Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tell-All nobody asked for.

The second day, I started to scratch at the walls.

 

 

The third day, I f*ing punched out the glass windows…

 

 

 

The fourth day, I just about lost it and chucked everything and anything that wasn’t bolted or fastened down at the door!

 

 

 

 

 

The dresser, the bedside table, an old mirror…

 

 

H*, I even heaved up the actual bed canopy and all, and dashed it across the room!

 

 

 

 

And I did this until my already badly-injured hands were scraped raw, and bleeding buckets.

 

 

I’d pushed, and I’d pushed until I physically couldn’t use them anymore…

 

 

 

 

 

D*…

 

 

 

 

 

 

If somebody didn’t figure it out, I was probably going to lose whatever was left of my already (and let’s face it), ridiculously damaged sanity!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

KNOCK-KNOCK.

 

 

 

Oh joy.

 

 

Here came the cavalry to string me up on the chandelier-

 

 

 

 

“Hey, are you up?

 

It’s Andrea B…”

 

 

“-And me too!

 

Lele Pons!!”

 

 

“And JC…”

 

 

“And Roi!!”

 

 

“And me, Jesse…”

 

 

 

 

Uh…what nicknames did I give them all again?

 

 

 

“And me too…”

 

 

 

 

Alice.

 

 

 

 

“Yeah, I’m up…what do you want?”

 

 

 

“Sounds normal to me…”

 

“Shhh, I’m gonna ask him the thing”.

 

 

 

 

…Ask me what thing?

 

 

 

 

“Mystic told us to tell you that if you don’t say why you want to know about here running-away habit so badly, with something that is not ‘because’, or some crap, she’s gonna wish you into a Bible?”

 

 

 

 

Oh.

 

 

That thing.

 

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

What a good question.

 

Wish I remembered the answer…

 

 

 

 

‘I don’t know’ wasn’t gonna cut it.

 

 

 

 

 

“…Did he fall asleep?”

 

 

“No-“

 

 

 

 

“Um, Candy Pop…?

 

Are you okay in there?”

 

 

 

 

…You mean honestly?

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I could get that much out, I would.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My lungs constricted at the very thought, so…

 

 

Guess not.

 

 

 

 

 

“…All she ever does is run.

 

ALL THE D* TIME!!!!

 

 

It’s so annoying…!

 

 

 

 

All I want is my body back.

 

 

 

 

 

But every **f*ing** time I get close, I'm yelled at, threatened, or just plain ‘ol ditched!!!

 

 

 

And quite frankly, I’m getting sick of it.

 

 

 

 

 

Besides, isn’t the Hero or whomever supposed to _want_ help from other people!?

 

 

 

 

 

Is that not a thing!!??

 

 

 

 

 

Come on, tell me I’m wrong!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I swear to GOD if you don’t accept this…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's the verdict?


	16. Meanwhile, 'If We Met' 2.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it?

 

**-MEANWHILE-**

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

 

 

...I honestly wasn’t expecting her to relent.

 

 

 

 

"If you're seriously that desperate…”

 

She sighed.

 

 

 

"I'll give you _one_ chance to convince me.

 

Hit me”.

 

 

 

The rock in her hand crumbled to dust, and I-

 

 

Did.

 

 

 

 

Within seconds, her face had paled, and she was _this_ close to dropping to her knees-

 

 

 

"Stop it-“

 

 

 

 

I tried, but I couldn’t seem to!

 

 

 

It was like I’d managed to unleash a monster out of my own pain-

 

 

And I'd lost all control.

 

 

 

 

"STOP IT!"

 

 

She began to scream, tears streaming down her face-

 

 

 

**"STOP IT RIGHT NOW OR I'M SENDING YOU BACK!!”**

 

 

 

A jolt of fear ran through me, and-

 

 

 

 

That worked.

 

 

 

 

 

"What.....the h*…..was that?

 

 

 

Mystic took shallow gulps of air into her lungs, trembling…

 

 

 

 

I felt  **awful** about what I had done.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t mean to hurt her, I was just _scared_ -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"That's........what I went through”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!
> 
> Some LUCK for this poor guy!!
> 
>  
> 
> 'If We Met', 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18263633


	17. Truce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of danger? Maybe? For once?

"How can I be sure these are real?"

 

 

"Would I really put myself through this much pain?"

 

 

"Well, you just did it to me”.

 

 

 

I winced at that.

 

 

 

"Touche, but no. I can assure you. These ARE real”.

 

 

 

 

She sighed in response.

 

 

 

 

"I'm still unsure, but I've got another way to prove that you're on our side”.

 

 

 

"Yes, what is it, my love—“

 

 

 

 

Wait, what?

 

 

 

 

“—I mean, Mystic?"

 

 

 

 

Her vivid blush mirrored my own.

 

 

 

"Um, can we just pretend I didn't say those two words?"

 

 

 

 

She nodded vigorously.

 

 

 

 

 

…What even was that!?

 

 

 

 

 

"To prove that you're on our side, tell me the name of the traitor that the Cursed God sent out”.

 

 

 

"The...the what?"

 

 

 

 

My heart stopped.

 

 

 

 

"Don't play dumb”, she scoffed at me.

 

"I know you know who it is”.

 

 

 

 

"How?"

 

"Intuition”.

 

 

 

 

 

…Reluctantly, I prepared to give it up.

 

 

 

The truth…

 

 

 

 

"Fine. I did overhear their name, but I feel so bad because they seem so nice---"

 

 

"Doesn't matter”.

 

 

 

She was adamant-

 

 

 

 

“If the Cursed God sent them, they're bad news. Now who is the traitor?"

 

 

 

 

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath-

 

 

 

"Okay, the traitor amongst you is----"

 

 

 

 

 

"Going to remain anonymous”.

 

 

 

 

No.

 

 

It _couldn’t_ be-!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, no.


	18. Double Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old and New faces are here to stay...

Panic gripped my heart in a vise!

 

 

 

How?

 

_How was he here!?_

 

 

 

 

I thought I’d **finally** managed to get away from him-

 

 

 

  

 

Calvin was back, face perfectly intact and looking none the worse for wear despite what I had done to him!

 

At his side was a red-haired woman in a maid outfit…

 

 

 

Striding up to the both of us, he first lovingly stroked Mystic.

 

Then-

 

 

**Me.**

 

 

 

"Hello, my love”.

 

 

 

 

I strained away on impulse, even though I knew that I couldn’t move-

 

 

 

 

 

"As I was saying”, the red-haired woman continued.

 

"That 'traitor' shall remain anonymous. At least until after the wedding”.

 

 

 

She too, came up to the girl with the intention of inspecting her.

 

 

 

"Hmm, yes, now I remember. I can see why he's so obsessed with you”.

 

 

 

"What are you doing with her?"

 

 

 

 

Harassing _me_ was one thing…

 

 

But a **kid**!?

 

 

 

 

"It's been about 40 years since I last saw her”, she said to me as matter-of-factly as if she were merely talking about the weather.

 

"And now the first time I'm seeing her face-to-face. I'd nearly forgotten why my lord wants her so badly”.

 

 

 

"Wait”, she pushed her away-

 

"Who the h* are you? And what do you mean 40 years? I'm only 20”.

 

 

 

“…You didn't infer from the diary entry?"

 

 

 

I could see the gears whirring in her mind as she struggled to connect pieces of…something.

 

 

"You're the ‘she’ Calliope was talking about!"

 

 

 

"Well, aren't you just a smart little girl”.

 

 

You should show that intelligence off to your new husband.

 

 

 

"I don't think so!”

 

 

 

 

The woman laughed heartily at this-

 

 

 

 

 

"What are you going to do? You're practically helpless on your own”.

 

 

So saying, she withdrew a black, smoking watch from the pocket of her apron-

 

 

 

"I wish that Envy was set free”.

 

 

 

…Huh?

 

 

 

Suddenly released, I stumbled forward-

 

 

 

 

She grabbed the stump of my right hand and yanked me into an elevator!?

 

 

 

 

"Hold on tight-“

 

 

 

 

She hit a button, I didn’t know what it did-

 

 

 

I very nearly lost my balance as the metal chamber suddenly shot upwards!

 

 

 

 

Dark mist snaked through the cracks, and slithered around Mystic’s waist.

 

I tried to stop her from being pulled out, but-

 

 

 

"HELP!"

 

 

 

I ended up just unable to grasp her.

 

 

 

Slipping out the door, I was just in time to see many others also converging-

 

 

 

 

"I wish I was back inside my room at this hotel!"

 

 

 

 

 

A blast of gold later-

 

 

And she was gone.

 

 

 

 

Smoke leaked from down the hall, and I soon found myself staring into the eyes of-

 

 

“Hello, Envy.

 

For once, we all know you exist”.

 

 

 

I went for the bag of-

 

 

 

A spark of energy hit me right in the chest, and I was knocked to the ground.

 

 

 

 

“I wish everyone except the two of us, Mystic, and, finally, Calvin, would miraculously fall asleep until we have successfully concluded our business here”.

 

 

 

 

 

At once, the faces of Mystic’s friends instantly went blank.

 

They were out within seconds…

 

 

 

 

…I had never seen something like this before.

 

 

 

 

Her fingers hooked around my strong wrist, and violently wrenched me upright.

 

 

 

 

 

“Now.

 

Let’s go find them, shall we?

 

 

 

…But first…”

 

 

I wish you wouldn’t be able to use direct force against me.

 

 

 

 

 

….What sort of sorcery was this!!??

 

 

 

 

 

The door was open, and she swooped for the girl relentlessly dragging me behind her!

 

 

 

“Well, well, well…

 

It seems we caught you both at a rather opportune moment”.

 

 

 

 I saw Calvin with his hands on her, and my blood **boiled**.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic…you shouldn’t have left the safety of your friends.

 

We all know you're just an innocent little child”.

 

 

 

 

“Back off!”

 

 

 

She dug into a bag for another one of those stones.

 

 

 

 

“I wish that you two would-“

 

 

“I wish that your bag of teastones would be erased from this plane of existence”.

 

 

 

A sudden crackling of electricity, and she gasped as the fabric dissolved from her grasp!

 

Countless numbers of them plummeted to the floor, and shattered upon impact.

 

 

 

“You-!!”

 

 

 

Her voice rattled slightly.

 

 

 

“How did you-!?”

 

 

 

“Oh, my dear…”

 

 

The woman chuckled softly.

 

 

“Have you never heard of Dark Teastones?”

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“…Never you mind”.

 

 

 

She plucked another one out of thin air.

 

 

 

“Once you are back with your future husband and he-"

 

A nod at myself-

 

 

"Is reunited with _his_ , then all of your confusion shall be addressed”.

 

 

 

“Future husband-“

 

 

She connected the dots as I paled still further.

 

 

 

 

“No!“

 

 

 

It so happened that we would protest at the exact same time-

 

 

 

 

“Yes”.

 

 

 

 

 

**...I wish Mystic and Envy would be transported back with Calvin and I to the lair of the Cursed God.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the biggest story breaker I have ever seen.


	19. Unwanted Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...All that progress undone in a blink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Brief attempted suicide mention.

_No…_

 

 

 

As a bright flash assaulted my senses for the second time, I could feel the dread overwhelming me!

 

 

 

 

This…

 

_No!!_

 

 

 

I was free-

 

 

 

 

I was safe!

 

 

 

 

This wasn’t su _pposed to end like this-!!_

 

 

 

 

 

The black walls of the Doll Room threatened to close-in on me, and I began to hyperventilate…

 

 

I couldn’t go back-

 

 

 

I _wouldn’t_ go back-!!

 

 

 

 

I would rather **die** than be butchered into his Mannequin Bride-

 

 

 

 

 

But I’d already tried to kill myself once, and I’d survived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Mystic was shaking me, or rather, my arms.

 

 

 

 

“-hey!

 

HEY!!

 

 

Envy snap out of it-“

 

 

 

 

“There you are, at last”.

 

 

 

 

The Cursed God.

 

 

 

 

“Your absence was torture, my innocent flower”.

 

 

He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek in affection.

 

 

 

 

...If I could only gain my powers back-

 

 

 

 

She flinched.

 

 

 

 

“But now that you have found your way to me once more, this time, I **swear** we will never be parted”.

 

 

 

 

“-And the same goes for us as well…”

 

 

 

 

 

A silky soft voice right there in my ear-

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t even think about it.

 

 

I just _lashed out_ -

 

 

 

 

 

I heard a sickening **crack** as his neck turned 180-degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

Mystic screamed-

 

 

 

 

 

The red-headed woman leaned into my field of view, looking incredibly disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I wish Calvin was alive and well…for the umpteenth time in the span of ten minutes”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her dark eyes focused on me-

 

 

 

“…You absolutely _despise_ him, don’t you?”

 

 

 

 

 

Before I could say anything, electricity surged, the stone disintegrated-

 

 

 

 

 

 

His neck re-aligned itself with a loud **snap**.

 

 

 

 

 

“…Miss Divola, thank you very much for the assist”.

 

 

 

 

She raised an eyebrow.

 

 

 

“That one is a regular wildcat”.

 

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cursed God, too, seemed a bit skeptical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…For some reason, I felt satisfaction run through me.

 

 

I think I’d proved that I wasn’t just going to let them do with me as they would.

 

 

 

 

Did it show?

 

…I sincerely hoped not.

 

 

 

 

 

I was already skating on thin ice as it was…I didn’t need to have Mystic changing her mind about me so soon.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t wa **nt to be left alone…!**

 

 

 

 

 

“…Mystic, perhaps you and I should retreat to another room”.

 

 

“No!”

 

 

 

I grabbed her arm with enough force to nearly wrench it out of the socket-

 

 

“Don’t…please…”

 

 

 

 

 

She looked up at me, frowning, and I…I couldn’t hold her gaze-

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Please don’t leave me”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna get extremely dark all over again, isn't it?


	20. Impasse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blocked communication.

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

Okay, really!!

 

 

This was going to drive me insane—

 

 

 

It had been a couple hours now since they’d left, and I’d…

 

I’d taken up abusing the walls again.

 

 

 

 

The only reason I’d been able to sound off on them earlier was because it happened to fall within the parameters of ‘Answer’.

 

Otherwise, you can bet I would’ve been stuck silent…or spouting some random rhymes on repeat until my voice went hoarse.

 

 

 

 

"Where are you, my little Mystic mousie? Time to run up the clock again!

 

I think it’s struck past ten…

 

 

You know what that means, don’t you?

 

In two hours flat…

 

 

Don’t you want to save your friends from that!?

 

 

 

 

Come out, little mousie...don't make me come in there!"

 

 

 

 

 

If I don’t stop this thing, I **swear-**!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I might just jump out the broken window.

 

 

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

It was scary…

 

Listening to all that rabid scratching…!

 

 

 

I could smell the faint traces of blood, scent growing stronger and stronger as time passed.

 

 

 

 

 

…The others had all left to report back to Mystic.

 

 

I was still here, stuck between staying and leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This just didn’t seem…normal…

 

 

Then again, what did I really know about any of it?

 

 

 

 

I’d only been learning about Creepypasta for eight or nine months…

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe this was the usual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…But I should still try.

 

 

 

 

 

“Candy…Pop…?”

 

 

 

 

The scratching stilled.

 

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

 

I could feel it through the walls.

 

 

Something…

 

 

 

“..!!”

 

 

 

 

“What…is it?”

 

 

 

 

**-THUD!!**

 

 

 

I jumped as the harsh noise echoed through the air!

 

 

 

 

It sounded like he’d punched a hole-

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

 

I just didn’t understand.

 

 

 

 

 

So I went back downstairs, or at least, I was going to...

 

 

 

There was a lot of shouting coming from somewhere above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonder why that was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got a little snow here, too. But it's all gone by now...


	21. No Easy Way In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I do something desperately stupid.

“…And what brings ‘ou here, hm?”

 

 

One, dewy eye peeked at me through the peephole.

 

 

 

 

“‘Ave you come to let ‘e out?”

 

 

 

“No…”

 

 

 

 

A bitter choking noise.

 

 

I mean…a laugh…?

 

 

 

“So!

 

‘Ou’ve come to gloat, then”.

 

 

 

“No…”

 

 

 

I tried to breathe through my unease.

 

 

 

“I just want to know…um…somebody is really sick around here, and I don’t think it’s…anything natural…”

 

 

“And why are ‘ou coming to ‘e?”

 

 

 

 

…I’d gone upstairs looking for Matt, Safiya, and Ro.

 

 

And Penelope.

 

 

 

Heck, Calliope would have been a great person to ask, too.

 

 

 

 

 

…But nobody was there.

 

 

 

 

 

Something must have happened, but there wasn’t anything conveniently lying around to tell me what...

 

 

 

 

 

“I couldn’t find anybody”.

 

 

“-Ha!

 

Ha, ha…!!”

 

 

 

She wheezed.

 

 

 

“That must mean ‘e’s got ‘er then”.

 

 

 

“Who?”

 

 

 

“The Master!

 

Who else?”

 

 

 

 

…Uh.

 

**Already!?**

 

 

 

 

We didn’t even have the third _Token_ yet…

 

 

 

 

 

“They’ll save her.

 

They always do!”

 

 

 

“We’ll see, won’t we?”

 

 

 

The smile in her voice made me think of a witch just waiting to pounce.

 

 

 

 

“…So I guess you won’t know what to do about…um, two people died yesterday…”

 

 

 

“Lass, ye’ve got to spit it out.

 

Things could go very badly for you if anyone sees ye”.

 

 

 

“-I think someone is cursed or brainwashed!”

 

 

“Mm?”

 

 

 

“Alice was nuts already, but I can tell that something is really wrong…

 

She keeps singing about a clock, and mouses, and-“

 

 

 

“Alas, I’m not the one ye should go to.

 

I jus’ run my happy hotel…”

 

 

 

“Who do you think I should talk to then?”

 

 

 

“I think this is all on you”.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

…Hence why I was now standing right back in front of that door holding a Bible in front of me as if were the best, high-tech shield imaginable!

 

 

I didn’t know what would happen if I beaned him with it, but if that failed, I could always…

 

 

 

 

I grasped the knob, and opened the door.

 

 

 

 

“Mystic?”

 

 

 

All the air froze in my lungs.

 

 

 

 

A girl who looked like me in blood-drenched clothes, and a deranged, giddy smile.

 

 

 

 

“…What is _that_ you’ve got there!?”

 

 

A nervous tittering escaped him, and bruised, battered fingers practically dripping with crimson swept up a pair of scissors-

 

 

 

 

I stepped in, and he lunged-!!!

 

 

I recoiled in fright as the twin blades shore straight through the cover, and hallowed pages until I was sure they were going to cleave open my chest-

 

 

 

“!!”

 

 

 

 

I shoved it at him, and he whipped it aside, grimacing slightly as the stray pages brushed his skin.

 

 

 

 

 

“It’ll soon be that time you know, little cat!”

 

 

 

Cat…?

 

 

 

 

Was he remembering the Wonderland saga on some level?

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Th-!!”

 

 

I hurriedly swung my arms together into a cross-shape!!!!

 

 

 

 

_“The Power of Christ compels you!!!!!!”_

 

 

 

 

 

…His mad expression was briefly interrupted by one most irritated.

 

 

 

 

 

…Yeah, well, I should’ve expected-

 

 

 

 

 

The next slash bit into my shoulder.

 

 

**Dull** pain…

 

 

 

 

Oh.

 

 

 

Was that…

 

 

 

My **blood!!??**

 

 

 

 

He ripped the weapon out, and a startled noise rent itself from my throat!

 

 

A Glasgow’s grin stretched across his face.

 

 

 

 

“Night night, my pretty…”

 

 

 

A lightning flash to the heart beating madly beneath my breast-

 

 

 

 

 

BOOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I blasted him out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did NOT mean to, I swear-!!


	22. Fenestration Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just realized.

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

 

This is gonna hurt…

 

 

 

 

**THU-UDD!!**

 

 

 

 

 

My back hit a solid barrier instead, and for some reason I DIDN’T die immediately.

 

 

 

Lucky break, huh?

 

 

 

 

…Except it wasn’t, because now I could feel the agony seeping in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I’d damaged my spine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My eyesight fluttered…

 

 

 

God, it felt like _years_ before Alice’s panicked footfalls came up to me-

 

 

 

 

 

“-!”

 

 

 

Eyes wide and horrified, she knelt down beside.

 

 

 

 

“I am so, SO sorry-!!”

 

 

“-I absolutely refuse to forgive you”.

 

 

 

 

...They became dangerously wet.

 

 

 

 

“I’m kidding, you idiot”.

 

 

 

 

“O-oh”.

 

 

 

 

 

She wiped the corners with her sleeves, breaths coming in a bit faster…

 

 

 

 

“How long do you think I have, nurse?”

 

 

“N-not very…”

 

 

 

 

I could feel my soul trying to float out of me-

 

 

But I _wouldn’t_ let it!

 

 

 

 

 

I STILL didn’t have my body-

 

 

 

 

 

“Alice-you gotta do something…”

 

 

 

I tried to grab her by the shoulders, but my arms wouldn’t move.

 

 

 

 

 

“I think I might actually die!”

 

 

 

 

She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to:

 

 

The first few tears were rolling down her cheeks…

 

 

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

…Candy Pop was going to die!!??

 

 

It sounded unbelievable.

 

 

 

 

But here he was, stuck looking like me, limbs twisted…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t want it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t want him to **die**...

 

 

 

Even if he _was_ a scary, psychopathic monster!

 

 

 

 

 

 

-But what could I do…!?

 

 

 

Sure I had s _ome_ power, but nothing like-

 

 

 

 

Wait.

 

 

 

 

 

Penelope and I had grown a Wish blossom a few weeks back-or so…

 

 

 

It should’ve bloomed by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This better work, this better work-!!


	23. Does Lazarus Really Exist?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off I go, testing the wildest theory ever-

“…I’m gonna try something…it shouldn’t take long”.

 

 

He coughed, and blood spattered onto the collar of his dress.

 

 

 

 

“L-like what!?”

 

 

 

“I’ll be back soon…”

 

 

 

 

I closed my eyes, and tried to calm down…

 

 

To think-

 

 

 

**Think.**

 

 

 

 

Of where I wanted to be...

 

 

 

 

 

It was hard to get settled, and I had to keep starting over, and over, and over-

 

 

 

“Not getting any less dead over here-!!“

 

 

 

 

His voice had a joking lilt, but I could sense the undercurrent of panic beneath his words.

 

 

Which, of course, made ME panic-!!

 

 

 

 

 

_Please_ don’t do that again…

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took deep breaths, and pretended to slip into one of my stories.

 

 

I w _as on a trip._

 

 

 

_Looking for the Wish Blossom…_

 

 

 

 

_Just for fun._

 

_Just for giggles._

 

 

 

 

_And mom was there, and my brother…_

 

 

 

 

 

_We were having such a good time in the sunshine, and he was cracking one of his sarcastically funny comments-_

 

 

 

 

 

I _believed_ that I was there.

 

 

I **believed** it!

 

 

 

 

I could _feel_ the warm sunshine, I could _feel_ the thin grass beneath my feet, I could **_see_ **that rock where Penelope had wished for the flower to grow-

 

 

 

I groped for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Felt the gossamer petals…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dug as much of it out of the ground as I could without unintentionally killing it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It _would_ come back to the hotel with me.

 

 

It **_would_** come back to the hotel with me!

 

 

 

 

It would…

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I opened my eyes again, I was awed by the sudden radiance of several gorgeous, rainbow-shimmering petals.

 

 

 

Candy Pop gawked at it.

 

 

 

“…

 

Nice work, kid!”

 

 

 

 

 

…If I racked my brains hard enough, I could _just_ recall something about grinding the blossom up into a drink?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, it was worth a try.

 

 

-But I would have to be super-quick!!

 

 

 

 

 

“I have to go prepare this.

 

Just…hang on, okay?”

 

 

 

 

 

Before he could properly react to that, I was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I just had to have faith that I would be able to do this **right**.

 

 

 

 

 

I snitched some supplies from the kitchen, and set up shop at a nearby station.

 

 

I then plucked off all the petals and ground them up with an old-fashioned mortar and pestle…

 

 

 

 

The thick, white paste smelled like vanilla.

 

 

 

 

 

Filling a teapot with water, I set it on the oven to boil…

 

Uh…

 

 

 

How many degrees...?

 

 

 

 

I didn’t have a clue, and I didn’t have the time to be choosy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I turned the dial up to about 150, and hoped for the best.

 

 

 

I poured in the crushed petals…

 

 

 

 

 

_Please_ , **_please_** don’t take too long…!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

 

 

I…think I passed out…?

 

 

I don’t know…

 

 

 

I just…

 

 

 

 

-One minute I was awake, and the next, I was blinking away the sunlight like ‘what the h* just happened!?’

 

 

 

 

 

 

…What was she even doing that took this much of forever, anyway!!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was already digging my fingers into the proverbial cliff edge as it was…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep hanging out.

 

 

 

-

 

**Wait.**

 

 

 

 

Was that…?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The soles of somebody’s shoes slapped against the carpet.

 

 

 

 

“…K-!”

 

 

 

Kid that **better** be you-

 

 

 

 

 

A _thump!_ as whomever it was dropped to their knees…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A hand slid behind my head, and elevated it enough so that something cool, and vaguely fruity-tasting could be unceremoniously dumped down my throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will it, or won't it?


	24. Sewer Escape!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to blow this popsicle stand of poisonous love!

"Let him go”.

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

"You can take me. I'll marry you. Whatever. But over my dead body is this guy gonna suffer because of the choices I made”.

 

 

 

"So”.

 

You want to ruin my happiness, is that what you're saying?"

 

 

 

"Yes”, Mystic continued.

 

"Because your own happiness, if that's what you're calling it, shouldn't cause others to experience trauma!"

 

 

 

She was standing up for me…

 

 

 

"He's fine with it”.

 

 

 

"Is that so? Did you ever ask him?"

 

 

 

"No, I simply know”.

 

 

 

She looked at me, eyebrows raised as if to say ‘help me out here!’

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t make myself talk.

 

 

 

 

"That's not the vibe I got when he snapped your neck”.

 

 

 

"He merely has..........exotic interests”.

 

 

 

 

Ugh… **why** …

 

 

 

 

"No, he's terrified of you!

 

And quite frankly, so am I. No sane person would kill someone and turn them into a doll for their own twisted pleasure”.

 

 

 

"I am a _perfectionist_ ”, he snapped-

 

"Of the highest degree”.

 

 

 

"You're demented! Those 'dolls' were once real people”.

 

 

"Perfectionism often demands sacrifice”.

 

 

 

Like _what!?_

 

 

 

I didn’t want to hear anymore…

 

 

 

 

Neither did she.

 

 

Grabbing my arms, the young Author raced off, me somehow in tow!

 

 

 

"Get back here. **We're** not finished yet!" the red-haired woman called out behind us.

 

 

 

 

But it was too late.

 

 

 

 

 

"Well, both of  **us** are!"

 

 

 

 

 

As they rushed to keep up, we vanished down a series of complexing turns…

 

 

 

"C'mon, pick up your feet!”

 

 

 

 

Easier said than done when you had to keep ducking every five minutes.

 

 

 

 

"Stop for a second then”.

 

 

 

"I can't. If we stop for even a _single_ second, it could be the end of us. Where the h* even are we?"

 

 

 

She skidded when a wall appeared inches from her face, but it only briefly threw her off.

 

 

Then we hit Round 2 of this confusing spiral of tunnels…

 

 

 

"I don't care if you're there for weeks!" I heard the Cursed God bellow a thousand feet behind.

 

"Search the entire labyrinth, and don't come back without my bride!"

 

 

 

“D* it”, Mystic whispered in frustration.

 

"Where do we go now?" 

 

 

 

"You're the hero of this”, I said, and I winced at the curtness only _too_ present in my tone.

 

"You make the choice”.

 

 

 

It wasn’t like I could see where we were going anyhow…

 

And I was starting to get very agitated.

 

 

 

"That's what I've been trying to do this whole d* time, but everyone keeps trying to make decisions for me!"

 

 

 

…Once again, she was referencing something I didn’t know about.

 

 

 

"What the h* do you mean?"

 

 

 

"Try being autistic”, she griped.

 

"I'm almost twenty-f*ing-one years old and----"

 

 

 

The footsteps still trying to catch up to us grew louder.

 

 

 

“S*!”

 

 

She yanked to the left.

 

 

 

“-And what?"

 

 

"And people still see me as incapable compared to others”.

 

 

 

“…It can't be that bad”.

 

 

 

"I swear that if we weren't on the run, I'd strangle you with your own vines. It IS that f*g bad. I got out of extended guardianship **just less than a year ago** ”.

 

 

 

Extended…

 

 

 

 

"-But aren't you supposed to be considered independent at 18?"

 

 

"You see now!?”

 

 

 

 

…Why did I get the feeling that I had royally screwed up?

 

 

 

 

"How bad was the guardianship?"

 

 

 

"Admittedly, it could've been worse”.

 

 

 

Another corner to skate around-

 

 

 

"But it made going to the campus clinic a pain in the a*. I'll explain later. Right now, how do we get out of here?"

 

 

 

I shook my head-

 

 

"I.....I don't know. I've never been in this place”.

 

 

 

She abruptly dropped to the ground, and began to tug at something.

 

 

“D* it…”

 

 

 

-Closer foot steps now…

 

 

 

I felt my heartbeat kick up in intensity!!

 

 

 

"Hurry, they're getting closer!!”

 

 

"I'm trying!"

 

 

 

With a harsh CREAK—!!

 

 

She’d lifted up a trapdoor…

 

 

 

She practically flung herself down it, and I heard her hiss in pain.

 

 

I slid past her while the writer fumbled for a bar that jutted out of the ceiling.

 

Removing a small vial from a waist pocket, I pulled out the cork with my teeth, and splashed the edges with mint-green gel.

 

 

The first flames of acid-induced disintegration began to bite at my toes.

 

 

 

"Grab on!"

 

Mystic spared a glance at the neon cesspool below.

 

 

"The floor's covered with some sort of acid. What's that?"

 

 

 

"Dew Glue”.

 

 

 

I forced the cork back in, shoved it back into my clothes, and moved up onto the rungs of the ladder.

 

 

"This should keep the door shut for a while…”

 

 

 

"Wait. How are you hanging on?"

 

 

 

"Dew Glue”, I repeated.

 

“Now go!"

 

 

 

-No sooner had we started to climb than the door rattled, then forced open.

 

 

 

_"There's no way they could be down there, right?"_

 

 

It was the woman-

 

 

 

_"If it does end up being case, we need to get them out of there”._

 

 

**Calvin**.

 

 

I **shuddered**.

 

 

  
_"The vault is down there. And if Mystic is as intelligent as I've heard, she'll be able to crack it wide open”._

 

 

 

_"Well, keep **pulling** then!”_

 

 

_"Can't you just use those stones to get them out?"_

 

 

_"You idiot! You know the ashes would dissolve if we use them on anything or anyone in the sewers. We need to keep the ashes to feed to Mystic. That's what the Cursed God said”._

 

 

 

…What effect would that have?

 

 

 

_"What's he ever done for us? If I had it my way, Mystic would be nothing more than a doll in my collection._

 

_A special one, but a **doll** nonetheless…"_

 

 

 

 

Over my dead body would I be letting that happen.

 

 

 

 

_And if Envy'd stayed with me, I could've instead triggered that gene and all of Mystic's friends would've been slaughtered in a matter of minutes”._

 

 

 

 

**_What!?_ **

 

 

 

I could feel my eyes widening in confusion mixed with horror!

 

 

 

 

 

What on earth was he talking about now!!?

 

 

 

 

…Whatever it was, that DNA would **stay** unactivated.

 

 

 

 

_"You are incredibly morbid”._

 

 

_"You're trying to feed this girl ashes, Lilith, and yet I'M the morbid one?”_

 

 

 

_"And the lazy one! **KEEP PULLING, YOU B*D!** ”_

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

As time went on, I began to slip with every movement.

 

 

My glove was beginning to accumulate an absurd amount of sweat…

 

 

 

 

Not to mention how my back was aching from having to hunch over so much.

 

 

 

 

"How long is this?" Mystic gasped.

 

 

"Your guess is as good as mine”.

 

I shrugged.

 

 

 

"At this point, I'm just willing to fall into the acid.

 

What can they do? They can't use any wishes on me or anything in the sewers”.

 

 

 

...What a worrying thought.

 

 

"Wait!”

 

Were my eyes deceiving me?

 

 

"There's a landing just up ahead”.

 

 

 

I heard her sigh in relief.

 

 

 

 

She was the first to drop down, and I followed suit.

 

 

It just took me a bit longer to unfold myself…

 

 

 

 

Once my feet hit the ground I barely had time to register the stab of pain at my heels, before she’d taken hold of my arm for the third time, and dragged _both_ of us up a ladder which ended at a golden grate.

 

 

 

Mystic pushed the metal aside, and scurried up through the hole.

 

 

She almost banged my head off the edge-

 

 

 

 

 

Stumbling after her, I heard "Hello, hello, hello…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no...


	25. Standoff At The Throne-!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yank the Dog's Chain.

It was the Cursed God-

 

 

 

"Well, well, well…

 

It's as I've said. True loves always find their way to each other”.

 

 

 

Darkness blocked off the way back, and I hurried to follow Mystic as she limped to the throne room doors, and threw them open!

 

 

 

It was filled with every army member he possessed, Calvin, and that Lilith woman at the forefront.

 

 

 

 

A cold chill ran down my spine.

 

 

We were **surrounded-**

 

 

 

 

"I......will never....love you!” Mystic yelled, whirling on him with barely-restrained fury.

 

 

"That will change”.

 

 

 

His eyes were drawn to her injured foot…

 

 

In two seconds flat, he’d magicked her over to his side!

 

 

 

"Who did this to you, my darling!?”

 

 

 

 

Turning on our would-be pursuers, he shouted:

 

 

_"You two let her go into the acid tunnel?!”_

 

 

 

 

"That plant creature sealed the door leading to it”.

 

 

 

 

Wh-!?

 

 

 

 

Suddenly it was ME who was being raked over the coals-

 

 

 

 

_"If you weren't so useful to us, I would've had you turned into **mulch** for this!"_

 

 

 

 

-N-

 

 

 

"It's NOT his fault!”

 

 

 

Mystic.

 

 

 

 

Lovingly petting her on the head, the edge disappeared from his anger.

 

 

 

"Sweetheart, you simply don't know what you're saying”, he purred.

 

"My poor, innocent, little lamb. That acidic sewage must've corrupted your brain.

 

 

That, and the acid tunnels”.

 

 

 

 

She shot me an exasperated look.

 

 

Wow, she wasn’t kidding about being underestimated all the time…

 

 

 

 

"Then what the h*’s the other 'acidic sewage'?"

 

 

"Those people you call your friends. Well, except for sweet Rosanna. I'd be more than happy to let her stay with you if it will make you happy”.

 

 

 

Um, _excuse you!_

 

 

Where did **you** get off-!?

 

 

 

 

-With a snap of his fingers, the brunette Jetsetter was there.

 

 

 

"What.....what's going on?"

 

 

 

"Ro!”

 

 

Mystic leapt over to her, but yelped in pain as her corroded foot hit the floor.

 

 

 

"What happened?" She ran over to her at light-speed, the Cursed God getting there at the same time.

 

 

 

 

"She's had her outer layer of skin eaten away by the acid tunnels”, he explained.

 

"And her brain by the acidic sewage she calls her friends”.

 

 

 

"Leave them alone!"

 

 

 

“-But not you," he added reaching out to pet her, too…

 

"You're a gentle, innocent soul. I trust you'll keep her safe and pure”.

 

 

 

"Don't touch her!” Mystic shouted.

 

"She's not marrying you, so she shouldn't have to suffer the same fate”.

 

 

 

"And our friends are NOT acidic sewage!"

 

 

 

 

"For now they are”, he conceded.

 

"But once we capture them, we'll turn them into concubines, slaves, soldiers, servants, everything a queen of eternity deserves and more”.

 

 

 

Absolutely not!!

 

 

 

"Are you sure you should trust this girl?" Lilith doubted.

 

"Looks can be deceiving”.

 

 

 

"I **do** ”, he snapped, causing her to shrink back into the crowd.

 

"She is the purest amongst them. Why, if I hadn't discovered sweet Mystic, she might have been my bride instead”.

 

 

 

-The very idea was horrifying!!

 

 

 

"My lord”, a man with horns coughed.

 

"Now that we have Mystic, you kinda promised me a bride of my own”.

 

 

 

"Of course, of course”, he assured him,

 

"I haven't forgotten. But first we need to purify my love even further. I believe an angel bath will do the trick”.

 

 

 

"Oh _h*_ no!”

 

She hopped off the throne, shaking her head.

 

 

"I'm not going through some sort of purification ritual.

 

Nope.

 

No thanks.

 

 

 

Goodbye-!!"

 

 

 

She winced…

 

 

Her heel was peeling…

 

 

 

 

Badly.

 

 

 

"The angel bath will also heal your foot in no time at all”.

 

 

 

 

And then he pointed to me-

 

 

 

"And give this one a bath laced with chlorophyll. We need a strong and healthy topiary and soldier”.

 

 

 

 

What-

 

 

No-

 

 

 

 

"I'll give him the bath”, Calvin offered…

 

 

 

 

 

_No, no, no-_

 

 

 

 

"Absolutely not!”

 

 

-A voice rang out.

 

 

 

…Mystic…

 

 

 

 

_Why are you being so nice to me!?_

 

 

 

 

 

"If I HAVE to get this angel bath or whatever, Envy's NOT getting a bath from Dr. Drevis here!"

 

 

 

"Fine”, Lilith sighed, yet that **smirk** on her face-

 

 

"I'll make sure he doesn't if you let ME bathe you”.

 

 

 

"Sure”.

 

 

She looked very reluctant, but-

 

 

 

"You can give me the angel bath”.

 

 

 

 

Satisfied, she turned to Ro.

 

 

 

"Would you be willing to give this one his chlorophyll bath?"

 

 

"I'm afraid I don't know how”, she replied demurely.

 

 

 

"There's an instruction manual. If you would follow me, I'll show you where the baths are”.

 

 

 

 

Stepping over to me, the Jetsetter gently took ahold of my arm.

 

 

“…Don’t be scared, it’ll all be okay…”

 

 

 

 

I won’t let anything bad happen to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I **wished** I could believe that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know...originally the Dream Team was supposed to be Three, but now I'm wondering if its Four.


	26. I Screwed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...What?

-Alice-

 

 

Glad that the initial gulp seemed to have gone down okay, I was juuuust about to pour in the last few drops…

 

 

"What in the name of sanity are you doing!?”

 

 

 

I jumped six feet off the floor!

 

 

The bowl hit the carpet with a CRASH, and shattered.

 

 

 

 

"I.....I got the Wish Blossom. Gave it to him.....Penelope, I think he's dying! But this is gonna save him, right!?”

 

 

 

 

I sincerely hoped so…!!

 

 

 

 

"Was it the regular Wish Blossom?"

 

 

 

I thought...yeah…

 

 

 

"It's gonna save him, right!!?”

 

 

 

 

I practically screamed it, I was so scared…

 

 

 

 

 

Because if it didn’t it **would be all my fault.**

 

 

 

 

 

She turned away from me, bowing her head-

 

 

 

"Alice, I'm so sorry to be the bearer of tragedy......but.....but....."

 

 

"But _what?!_ "

 

 

 

"Well, you see, there's something I never told you about the teastones; there is such a thing as dark Teastones, ones that were normal originally, but then corrupted by the Cursed God, therefore there is such a thing as a dark Wish Blossom. Do you know the difference?"

 

 

 

I shook my _own_ head…

 

 

 

"The teastones I showed you...they're comprised of light”.

 

 

 

Her bottom lip quivered.

 

 

 

 

"Only beings of the light realm or of the earthly realm can safely use them. By contrast, the dark teastones can only be safely used by beings of a darker nature, being such as........a demon”.

 

 

 

 

…Nnnnnnooooo, wait-

 

 

 

"So then.....what happens if......?"

 

 

 

 

"Well.....if someone of the dark realm......ingested something......comprised of light.......they would......"

 

 

She trailed off, leaving me in an agony of suspense.

 

 

 

_"They would what!?”_

 

 

 

 

I started to panic even harder than I already was.

 

 

 

"No….no, it's not gonna......you're not saying he will......."

 

 

 

I began to shake even more, a horrified giggle partially escaping from my throat-

 

 

 

Die…?????!

 

 

 

"Penelope, answer me! _Please!"_

 

 

I had to know, I had to know-

 

 

 

 

"There's _gotta_ be a way we can save him!!”

 

 

 

 

"There......is......."

 

 

She was talking so slowly-

 

 

"To counteract the effects of using a normal Teastone, you would need to use two dark Teastones. So that would mean.......we need two dark Wish Blossoms”.

 

 

 

"Then let's get them. I can use my memory magic---"

 

 

 

"No”, she interrupted.

 

"Memory magic is limited. You have never seen a dark Teastone, let alone a dark Wish Blossom. I'm sorry, but the only way to get it is........is......"

 

 

 

Is **_what!!?_**

 

 

 

I waved a hand at her to continue on, desperation _dripping_ from the movement-

 

 

 

 

 

"To go to the source of the one who mutated them; we have to go to the lair of the Cursed God”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WILL save you, I WILL!!
> 
> I promise...


	27. Into The Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue mission(s) begin!!

S…

 

Something was happening to me-!

 

 

I gasped as all of my bones cracked back into place, seamlessly healing up, the blood flowing back into my veins…

 

 

 

 

I could feel the sickness that had taken over my mind recede, and my body become my own…

 

 

Again…

 

 

 

 

 

And then **burn** -

 

 

 

The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced-!!!!

 

Even _worse_ than what I had been dealing with originally-!!!!!

 

 

 

I gasped for air, but I couldn’t **breathe**.

 

 

 

 

 

I could see Alice hovering over me, eyes growing wide with genuine fear-

 

 

 

 

 

What in the h* had you just done!!??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, NO, I couldn’t die here-!!!!!

 

 

 

 

You…

 

 

You were supposed to…

 

 

 

 

 

_Save_ me…

 

 

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

I could barely keep from crying as I looked at him.

 

 

Suffering in total silence, sweating every so often…

 

 

 

 

How could I have been so _stupid?_

 

 

 

 

“Alice, we have to go!”

 

 

 

Penelope reached for my hand, and firmly pulled me from the room.

 

 

 

 

“All of the authors are up, as I’m sure you saw on the way here in the first place.

 

It’s time to go!”

 

 

 

 

As soon as we hit the end of the stairwell, she’d pulled out a Wish Stone from the pocket of her apron, and barked:

 

 

“I wish all of the agents, and all of the writers, along with the two of us would be immediately transported to the Lair of the Cursed God!!”

 

 

 

 

A blast of pure gold-

 

 

 

 

 

And we all appeared.

 

 

_Right_ in the middle of a large gathering of hostile forces.

 

 

 

 

“Well, well, well, would you look at that!” the Leader of the Killer Clowns mocked.

 

 

“Everyone and their brother is here!!”

 

 

 

“-Just in time for me to choose my bride from among them”.

 

 

Nicholas looked very, very smug…

 

 

 

Leah and Safiya shot him twin glares.

 

“Like **h*** you’ll be taking us without a fight-“

 

 

 

“Shall we draw lots as to who-owns-who?”

 

Vera’s eyes hungrily honed in on Andrea R.’s.

 

 

 

“In your _dreams_ **b***!!”

 

 

 

“Enough!”

 

 

The Cursed God presided over all on a massive, black-metal throne…

 

 

 

“It has been a while since I’ve seen you last, Penelope.

 

Fortunately, Lilith hasn’t been such a stranger…”

 

 

 

The veins in her temple swelled with blood.

 

 

 

_“Where is she!!??”_

 

 

 

“Why, off tending to my future bride of course-“

 

 

 

“-And where’s Ro!?”

 

 

Matt’s thunderous shout stopped him short.

 

 

 

“She is with Envy”.

 

 

 

 

-It was like a lightning strike had hit my heart.

 

 

 

 

Envy!?

 

 

 

 

“-None of whom are your concern right now.

 

If I am not mistaken, you are all _badly_ outnumbered”.

 

 

 

“-As if that will be enough to stop us”, Jael ground out through clenched teeth.

 

She removed a glowing weapon from her belt.

 

 

 

“No, I suppose not”.

 

 

 

However.

 

 

 

 

“We too, are armed and dangerous”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lilith? We're coming for you!!


	28. The Bath House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the twin bathing plans are initiated.

I tried to control the staccato beating of my own heart.

 

 

This whole situation…

 

 

 

I was not looking forward to _any_ of this, and Ro’s occasional worried glances only made me feel worse.

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

When were we even going to get there anyway!?

 

 

 

 

It seemed as if we had been walking for ages-

 

 

 

 

 

-One black flash later, and my unspoken question was answered.

 

 

The bath…house…

 

 

 

“…Ro, sweetheart, the chlorophyll bath is on the left side of the screen door”.

 

 

 

 

It was awfully thin…but the glass was frosted over so it wasn’t like we would be able to see each other.

 

 

 

"You promise Mystic will be safe?"

 

 

"You have my word”.

 

 

 

Lilith _sounded_ genuine, but I still had my doubts.

 

 

 

"Good!

 

Because if I hear that you're giving her any trouble, I'm gonna make you pay”.

 

 

 

 

 

…She was about as threatening as a rabid hamster.

 

 

 

 

 

Once she’d slid the door shut, the Jetsetter picked up the Psychotic Redhead’s list of instructions:

 

 

 

"'Fill to halfway with lukewarm water,

 

'Then mix with....'uh....Oh geez. I wish I had my reading glasses”.

 

 

 

"I could try to figure it out”.

 

 

 

"If you want to”.

 

 

 

"I mean, better _you_ giving me a bath than Dr. Calvinstein”.

 

 

 

 

 

…At the very least I would be able to stall the inevitable:

 

 

Me having to **take my clothes off** in front of her-

 

 

 

 

 

She giggled, and it reminded me of wind chimes.

 

 

 

 

 

Leaning over, I prepared to turn on the tap-

 

 

I about fell in when a sudden cacophony arose below us!

 

 

 

Shouts and screams-

 

 

 

“W-what’s going on!?”

 

Ro had gone even paler than me.

 

 

 

 

“I don’t know…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could only hope that it meant something good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who could they possibly be? (:


	29. Big Darn Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to take back our destinies!!

-Alice-

 

 

The agents drew their weapons-

 

And the writers grasped their pencils-

 

 

Meanwhile, the monsters bared their fangs, and readied their deadly instruments of choice.

 

 

 

The Cursed God even rose up from his throne, hands crackling with a dark, toxic energy.

 

 

 

 

-No one made a move to strike.

 

 

 

 

They were sizing each other up.

 

 

 

Attempting to pinpoint the others strengths and weaknesses-

 

 

 

 

Finally, the SAE faction of the group nodded in unison.

 

 

 

 

And **charged.**

 

 

 

 

_“RRRaaaaggghhhh-!!!”_

 

 

 

 

So did the Monster Head Trifecta.

 

 

 

 

_“AAArrrggghhhh-!!!!”_

 

 

 

 

Everybody else-

 

 

Just blazed into the middle of it, no-holds barred.

 

 

 

(Except for one audible _WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!_ )

 

 

 

 

Penelope grabbed my hand, and whisked out a Tea stone.

 

 

Yanking the both of us out of the way out of a firefight between Jesse and Cash, she yelled:

 

 

 

“I wish we were where Mystic was!!”

 

 

 

 

A golden light seared my eyes, and-

 

 

 

_"Mystic, don't do it!_

 

_Don't get in that bath!!"_

 

 

 

 At the sound of her voice, she launched herself into Penelope's arms!

 

 

 

-Suddenly, the left-hand side of the bathing area burst open!

 

 

 

 

"Matt!!

 

 

 

Sure enough, all of the other agents had caught up to us, and Rosanna too, took a flying leap into his arms.

 

Safiya soon joined the Group Hug, and they all shared a moment long denied.

 

 

 

And _he_...

 

 

Was **THERE!!!!**

 

 

 

“ALICE!?”

 

“Envy-!!”

 

 

 

 Meanwhile, Penelope glared at Lilith with the fury of a thousand devils. 

 

 

 "Hand over the dark ashes!

  
Death is looming over the hotel".

 

 

She merely chuckled.

 

Not upset in the slightest...

 

 

"You can't save Candy Pop".

 

 

Her hand went to her bag of dark Tea Stones...

 

 

"Wait.

  
How did you---?"

 

 

How-

 

 

"Our little traitor informed me".

 

 

"Who is this god-forsaken traitor anyway!?" Bird squawked, utterly exasperated by now!

 

"It's been nearly sixty chapters since that became a plot point!!"

 

 

( "Where are these drugs you're getting?" Dooper yelled.

 

"I want twenty").

 

 

Rather than answer, she lunged for Mystic!

 

 

Penelope swooped the girl behind her-

 

Where she was promptly grabbed in an arm-lock by Belle.

 

 

She ripped out a Tea Stone-

 

 

"I wish Lilith's dark Tea Stones turned to ash".

 

 

They did, with an electric crackle, but...

 

 

She just laughed again...

 

 

 

"Penelope, you are as naive as ever! You don't realize how much you helped us.

 

The dark energy in those teastones is going to infect anyone it can".

 

 

 

And I've had plenty of them saved up.

 

 

 

Despite that, her good half let loose another Tea Stone!

 

 

"I wish that the three witches were teleported far away from here".

 

 

 

"We don't have time for this!"

 

 

-She grabbed a third.

 

 

"We WILL save Candy Pop. I wish that we had that bag of ash and immunity to the dark energy infection".

 

 

A clear light whooshed around me-

 

 

 

"Enough games".

 

 

 

Lilith withdrew a pocket watch steeped in dark power.

 

 

 

"It's time for you all to bow to the darkness".

 

 

 

"Everyone run--!!"

 

 

 

 

\--She didn't need to tell us twice!!!

 

 

 

 

We all bolted out of there as fast as we could-

 

 

 

 

A cloud of shadows began to surround us!

 

 

"What's going on?

  
I can't see anything!"

 

 

"Neither can I", Blueberry shouted.

 

 

"Something's happening", Matt panicked.

 

"And it can't be good".

 

 

 

Ten seconds later, we found out just how right he was. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Candy Pop, we're comin' for you!


	30. Death Of Angels?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mystic is in deep trouble, and so are we!!

A shrill scream broke through our disoriented silence.

 

 

Turning around in startled fear, when we saw it-

 

 

 

It was the Cursed God carrying Mystic to the bath tub!!

 

 

 

Everybody rushed to stop him-

 

 

 

**Zzap-!!!**

 

 

 

 

 

A strong jolt of electricity threw me sideways, and I coughed up blood.

 

 

 

"You fools…”

 

 

**SNAP**

 

 

 

Leah, Safiya, and Ro all disappeared, and reappeared by his and Lilith’s side in a blink.

 

 

 

"Did you not think I would be prepared for this? I've had over 40 years to plan everything for my love”.

 

 

 

Penelope tried to use her Wish-

 

 

"And don't even think about using your pathetic little stones. They don't work on those beyond the barrier”.

 

 

 

Mystic was lowered into the water.

 

 

 

 

-With a second **Zzap** , the barrier was down!

 

 

 

The Agents all dove for her-

 

 

 

I reached out my hand-

 

 

 

"Um, are you two still sentient?"

 

 

 

"Oh yes, we are”.

 

 

…Well, it wasn’t like they were trying to stop me or anything, so, I kinda thought they’d morphed into statues.

 

 

 

"It's just......well, I suppose you don't want your precious Mystic to die, do you?"

 

 

 

"Die!?”

 

 

Rosanna spoke for all of us-

 

 

 

"Once someone is in an angel bath, they have to be tended to for at least an hour or they'll die.

 

You see, an angel bath is quite literally taking the mind, heart, and soul of another from the vessel and purifying it within the waters.

 

 

If the process is interrupted, the one being purified will die”.

 

 

 

-I didn’t have much choice but to back down.

 

 

 

"Soon, my love”, the Cursed God smiled lovingly at the soaking figure.

 

 

"We'll be forever, together”.

 

 

 

It was then that we noticed for sure-

 

 

 

The monsters had returned.

 

 

 

 

 

We were all hemmed in-!!

 

 

 

"Take them to the magic-proof dungeon”, he ordered them.

 

"Once the process is completed, I'll assign them to their new positions”.

 

 

 

Benjamin with the long arms suddenly snatched me up!

 

 

 

_“No!”_

 

 

Envy hurried to free me-

 

 

 

_**"You don't understand!”** _

 

I shouted even louder than usual for once in my life.

 

 

"Candy Pop's dying. We need to get back and save him!!”

 

 

 

“Oh? Is that so?"

 

Calvin trapped Envy in an arm-band as I watched, and he struggled.

 

 

 

“Oh well”.

 

 

 

 

 

-And from there, the two of them hauled us-and everybody else-away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh...things are not looking good for Pops.


	31. In Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are not looking good.

**THUD!!**

 

 

 

My side smacked off the rock floor, and I skidded a good couple of feet into the nearest corner.

 

 

As my eyesight adjusted, I saw a blurry Benjamin stalk away through the bars.

 

 

 

 

**Trapped.**

 

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

Similar noises were echoing from either side of me.

 

 

 

 

_It was **terrifying…!**_

 

 

 

Envy…

 

 

Candy Pop.

 

 

 

 

I had to get back to them somehow-

 

 

 

 

I hadn’t missed the Deer-In-Headlights fear that had briefly flickered over his face when Calvin had appeared…

 

 

It was almost as if they’d known each other already.

 

 

 

Which…

 

 

Considering who and what Calvin was…

 

 

 

 

 

And the Demon…

 

 

 

Sure, he may have been irredeemably evil, but I-

 

 

I _still_ didn’t want him to die-!

 

 

 

 

I didn’t want him to get killed because of me and my own wide-eyed, innocent stupidity!!

 

 

 

 

 

Hauling myself gingerly to all fours, I sucked air into my bruised rib cage, lungs un-shriveling like squished balloons.

 

Those arms had made me so light-headed, I’d almost passed out.

 

 

 

“Haahh…haahh…”

 

 

 

 

Wobbling slightly as I gathered up the strength to push myself to my feet, I raced over to the cell door!

 

 

 

 

 

 

…I think he’d said that they were Magic-Proof, but the metal still looked ordinary to me…

 

 

 

 

With a SNAP!,black sparks burned my hands!!

 

 

 

 

 

I fell back, nearly crying out!

 

 

It _**hurt…!**_

 

 

 

 

 

Shrill screams echoed this time…

 

 

 

 

 

Looked like everyone else was figuring that out too.

 

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

“I don’t why you’re bothering to struggle.

 

There’s not a chance in H*, that drug didn’t work on you”.

 

 

 

…I wanted to-

 

 

Shout?

 

 

Yell?

 

 

 

Scream!?

 

...

 

 

Why!!?

 

 

Why was it that every, single, time I thought that he was _finally out of my life-!!???_

 

 

 

He always came back.

 

 

 

 

 

…I’d felt a punch in my neck after his arms had grabbed me from behind.

 

It was all I could do to stay awake...

 

 

 

“Leave…me…ALONE-!!”

 

 

 

I tried to throw him off, and succeeded in bashing his head into the nearby cell-door-

 

 

 

 

**CLANG!!**

 

 

 

 

“-Amazing…”

 

 

 

Although a scrape of red was running down his forehead-

 

 

 

He was still _smiling_ at me!!?

 

 

 

 

“You just **don’t give up** ”.

 

 

 

 

-He tried to force me past the last line of prisons.

 

 

 

“…Wait…”

 

 

 

Where are you taking me!?

 

 

 

 

“To the infirmary, of course…”

 

 

 

 

His hands roamed over my chest-

 

 

I felt him **rip** something from me-

 

 

 

The last shreds of power I had left…!

 

 

 

“No…!”

 

 

 

“Those wounds of yours are quite hideous”.

 

 

 

 

He clucked his tongue at me and horror rose in my heart.-

 

 

 

 

“…If not treated properly, you will-“

 

 

“I would **rather** die than have to deal with YOU!!”

 

 

 

If I weren’t currently toeing the line between consciousness, and unconsciousness…

 

 

 

It slowly dawned on me that if I did something to him now…

 

 

 

 

**Lilith wouldn’t be around to bring him back.**

 

 

 

 

The option repulsed me, but…

 

 

 

 

“You’re thinking of killing me again, aren’t you?”

 

 

I could practically _feel_ his smirk-

 

 

“Didn’t you try that once already?”

 

 

 

 

Then he mock-blinked as if he had suddenly just remembered something.

 

 

 

 

“No, wait!

 

You attempted to do that to me **twice**!”

 

 

 

Yet…

 

 

 

“You felt regret for the first incident, but not the second one... _didn’t_ you?”

 

 

 

…I couldn’t-

 

 

I couldn’t **speak** -

 

 

 

His grip tightened on me, and I felt him hug me close.

 

Body firmly pressed against my back-

 

 

 

 

“You’re slowly becoming just as bad as me”.

 

 

You _know_ that…

 

 

 

His index finger traced the line of my jawbone-

 

 

 

 

“I can’t imagine what havoc you’ll wreak when you finally awaken as one of us”.

 

 

 

 

-Penelope-

 

 

 

They’d left me my bag of Tea stones…

 

 

I smiled bitterly.

 

 

 

Of _course_ they had.

 

 

 

 

Lilith always was the type to rub it in-

 

 

...

 

 

Well.

 

 

…This was a problem.

 

 

 

 

And, unlike usual, I _couldn’t_ wish myself out of it.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

An hour went by.

 

 

 

At the end of it, someone was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panicking?


	32. The Bride Of Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...Uh. This is bad.

-Alice-

 

 

 

I blinked, and found myself standing beside the Angel Bath alongside Envy, and Penelope.

 

 

 

“-She’ll never succumb to your innocence drugs!”

 

 

Safiya was asserting…

 

 

 

"Really? Then perhaps you should have one next”.

 

 

An uncanny grin spread across Lilith’s face.

 

 

 

"Keep away from Safiya!"

 

 

-Immediately, Rosanna rose to her defense.

 

 

 

"And then Alice”, she continued on, acting as if the sweet-natured Jetsetter had never spoken…

 

 

 

“Um, how about **no?** ”

 

 

 

I shivered.

 

 

 

 

The magical strings of a harp suddenly wafted throughout the room-

 

 

 

Mystic was rising from the water like a heavenly water nymph…

 

 

 

While Penelope’s evil twin hurried to grab a towel, the Cursed God continued the levitation of his…bride…

 

 

 

 

-Her skin was perfect, her dress an even more gorgeous, flowing, white, and her hair was longer, and shone bright-gold.

 

 

As her eyes opened-

 

 

 

I gasped!

 

 

 

 

The color of sparkling blue, almost the shade of pure crystals…

 

 

 

 

 

"Mystic, thank God, you're okay!" Penelope ran toward her, arms outstretched-

 

 

 

 

She **stared.**

 

 

Tilted her head to the side-

 

 

 

 

Confused…!?

 

 

 

 

"I do apologize”.

 

 

A Southern Belle accent that was clearer and more soothing than any other-

 

 

 

 

"But who are you?"

 

 

 

 

…I felt my face drain of color.

 

 

Looking at everyone else’s-

 

 

 

 

They too, were pale…

 

 

 

 

All except for Lilith and the Cursed God.

 

 

 

Despite what Safiya had proclaimed-

 

 

 

 

Here she was, completely without her memories.

 

 

 

 

 Penelope's face fell...

 

Mystic enveloped her into a warm hug!

 

 

"It'll be alright.

I'm sure we'll become great friends".

 

 

 

 

I could barely keep myself from squealing at how adorable this whole thing was-!!

 

 

 

“She’s no one you need concern yourself with, my Love".

 

 

The Cursed God stepped over to her and put a hand upon her shoulder.

 

 

“Not  _yet_ , anyway…”

 

 

"Wait, who are  **you**?"

 

 

He seemed very taken-aback.

 

 

"It's me.....your husband-to-be".

 

 

 

Then.

 

The darning phrase-

 

 

 

 

"I don't remember agreeing to marry anyone".

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here I go...tryin' to find that solution.


	33. The End Of The Prison Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...Did you really believe that all was lost?

As the Cursed God hurried over to Lilith for what I would assume was 'damage control', Mystic gently grabbed Penelope's hand.

 

 

"Come on, let's go explore".

 

 

 

Confused as we were...

 

 

 

We all followed her as she skipped out of the bath house.

 

 

-

 

 

"Mystic, do you really not know who we are?"

 

 

It seemed unreal to me!

 

 

"Not a clue".

 

She shook her head, and I felt my heart sink.

 

  
"But something tells me that this guy is bad news. I dunno if I can trust him just yet. I wanna, but I dunno if I can. I mean, I come out of this tub and all of a sudden, he proclaims I'm his love?

Seems a little 'spicious".

 

 

 

"Well, does that mean you're still with us?" Penelope asked hopefully.

 

 

A nerve-wracking few minutes passed while she mulled it over-

 

 

"I don't sense any malice amongst you, at least currently, so I'll say yes".

 

 

"Well, if you're quite sure".

 

 

...She sighed with relief.

 

 

"We'll have to ask for your help. A friend of ours is dying and we need to plant these ashes to create two flowers, turn them into a liquid, and give it to him.

 

Are you in?"

 

 

"If it means saving someone's life, of course I'm in".

 

 

"Just gonna warn you..." Envy spoke up.

 

"He's a demon".

 

 

"And that's a problem....how?"

 

 

"My goodness", Penelope gasped.

  
"She really IS innocent. But luckily, Angel Baths can easily be undone".

 

 

Pulling out a Tea Stone, she said:

 

 

"I wish we were all back at the hotel".

 

 

 

 

-And one golden flash later, we were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeesss, finally!!


	34. The Dead Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hidden strength + Killer genes =

Back then.

 

 

 -Envy- 

 

 

 

“Awaken?”

 

 

I’d felt **dread**.

 

  

Powerful, **heart-stopping** -

 

 

 

“What do you mean, ‘awaken’!?”

 

 

“I’m sure you know what I mean…after all, you _did_ overheard us speaking whilst hiding in the sewers”.

 

 

“That…gene nonsense…”

 

 

 

 

“It’s not nonsense”.

 

 

 

He'd been adamant.

 

 

 

“It’s the truth”.

  

“No”.

 

 

 

I'd shaken my head-

 

 

 

“You have to be lying to me!

 

I don’t know anything about-“

 

 

“It’ll transform you into the most dangerous Monster the whole world has ever seen”.

 

 

 

He'd started to nuzzle my neck.

 

 

 

 

“So far, everything you have done has only served to make it even stronger”.

 

 

“What do you mean!?”

 

 

 

I'd re-doubled my efforts to escape from him-!!

 

 

 

“Why just look at how you’re feeling right now!

 

Swap that desperate, _**collapsing**_  mindset to all of your friends, and, well…”

 

 

 

If I'd could’ve, I would’ve strangled him!

 

 

 

“No!

 

I’ll never betray them.

 

 

**Never!!** ”

 

 

 

A surge of adrenaline had run through me, and I'd **ripped** my arms free-

 

 

 

 

The **noise-**

 

 

 

 

What…

 

 

What…had I…

 

 

 

 

I'd felt _blood_ soak the fabric of my clothes.

 

 

When I'd turned around…

 

 

 

 

…N…

 

…No…

 

 

 

 

…I…

 

 

…I didn’t…

 

 

 

 

But that was a lie wasn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

He'd been splattered in a rapidly-growing pool of his own blood…

 

I’d…

 

I’d managed to dismember him…!

 

 

 

 

You wanted him gone, remember?

 

 

 

I…yes…

 

 

 

 

So why waste time feeling guilty?

 

 

 

 

 

I’d then reappeared next to Alice and…someone else.

 

 

 

-

 

 

My head ached from the effort of keeping it together.

 

 

What was I going to do about this!?

 

 

 

I knew that Lilith would probably just bring him back again, but…

 

 

 

The hideous scene still haunted me.

 

Not to mention my own inner voice talking me down like that...

 

 

 

 

I barely even registered the girl’s child-like antics…

 

 

 

 

Alice and Co. hurried to catch up with her as she raced from the front desk to the light switch, to the fountain, to the elevator button.

 

 

At one point she even dodged into the kitchens.

 

 

 

“Envy, you’re gonna get lost!”

 

 

Alice took my hand and led me outside with everyone except the living Energizer Bunny, and Rosanna.

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

“…You okay?”

 

 

 

"Fine.

 

I'm fine".

 

 

 

 

...I didn't have time to deal with it, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody call it?


	35. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh thank heavens...

Penelope dug two holes in an unused plot, and lay the two Dark Stones inside.

 

Smoothing dirt across the top, she sighed, and stepped back.

 

 

 

“Here’s hoping this works…

 

 

 

I wish that the two Dark Stones would blossom into two Dark Wish blossoms right now!”

 

 

 

Electricity crackled like an EMP, and, for a moment, all the lights in the hotel flickered.

 

 

 

 

...Like magic, twin plants shot up out of the earth, black petals gracefully unfurling.

 

 

 

 

And when they were done…

 

 

 

 

She plucked them both out of the earth, taking care not to disturb the roots, and brought them back inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There we are…now it’s time to get these ready to serve”.

 

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

I must have…

 

 

I must have passed out.

 

 

 

 

Yeah.

 

 

 

 

It felt like I’d been laying there, shaking with hot chills for _hours_ -

 

 

 

 

**_Where the h* had everybody gone!?_ **

 

 

 

 

 

…Were they even coming back?

 

 

 

 

I could barely hear anything over the chattering of my own teeth!

 

 

 

 

 

-But I could see a woman in black-and-white about to pour something _else_ down my throat-

 

 

 

 

For a minute, I tensed.

 

 

 

 

If this next tonic finished the job-

 

 

 

 

 

She rolled her eyes, and forcefully unhooked my jaw.

 

 

 

The liquid was darker this time…

 

 

 

 

Much more velvety in taste.

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as she made me swallow, I felt the pain disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

Completely.

 

 

 

 

 

Groaning, my limbs relaxed, and I gingerly sat up-

 

 

 

 

 

“Did it work?

 

Did it work!?”

 

 

 

Alice was chattering like a human parrot-

 

 

 

 

-With Mr. Envy brooding over her shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

_Man_ , I was glad to see that guy!

 

 

 

 

“…Before or after…you nearly poisoned me to death…?”

 

 

 

 

 

The eyes watered-

 

 

 

“Hey, hey!

 

What are you trying to do, you-!?”

 

 

 

Alice’s arms flung themselves around me as she dissolved into tears.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

“Wakey-wakey, you two”, Penelope sing-songed.

 

 

 

 

I was very tempted to make a Yuri joke.

 

 

 

 

After all, Mystic and Ro _were_ sleeping together on the same bed…

 

 

 

 

 

"We have some good news”.

 

 

 

 

Both women yawned and sat up, reminding me of a pair of kittens somebody’d poked in the midst of their nap.

 

 

 

"How did it go?" Ro asked in the _sleepiest_ tone-

 

 

 

"Hey, Cinna-Ro”.

 

 

 

"Candy Pop!"

 

 

 

She hopped off the mattress and glomped me!!

 

 

 

 

I’d already been pretty bad balance wise, but her over-the-top display of happiness very nearly knocked me over.

 

 

 

"Is....is that the demon?"

 

 

 

 

 

Mystic looked…confused!!?

 

 

 

"What's up with glasses girl?"

 

 

 

 

"Something about an angel bath or whatever”.

 

Alice shrugged…

 

 

 

"She doesn't remember us”.

 

 

 

 

Angel?

 

 

 

-Oh crap…

 

 

 

"What's this warmth in my chest?" I panicked,

 

 

"I feel so tingly”.

 

 

 

"That's affection, I think”, Ro explained to me.

 

"I think something in the bath did it. We've all been feeling the same way since she got out of it”.

 

 

 

"Ugh, gross!”

 

 

I gagged-

 

 

 

 

"I want more of it”.

 

 

 

 

"Okay, so how do we get rid of the effects of this bath?" Saf the Statue asked.

 

 

"Well…” Penelope sighed,

 

"I'd assume it'd be the same as how we got rid of that powder. I know it goes into the recipe for the angel bath”.

 

 

 

-Mystic promptly grabbed her head, grimaced, and fell to the ground.

 

 

"What is it?" Ro gasped worriedly.

 

 

 

"I....I feel......a dark presence”.

 

 

 

 

Cue Envy taking a few, hesitant steps backwards…

 

 

 

"No, it's not you Mr. Plantman. It's.....darker. And a bit red”.

 

 

 

"Lilith”.

 

 

 

Penelope paled-

 

 

 

"You called?"

 

 

 

 

A red-haired clone, and the Cursed God himself were there when we all turned around.

 

 

 

Whipping out a blowdart, she blew through it hard, and fast as we hastily gathered around Glasses Girl-

 

 

 

 

"Ow!"

 

 

 

Mystic clutched at her neck.

 

 

 

Ro pulled it out, revealing a fluffy, white…thing.

 

 

 

…I didn’t know this was possible, but the girl’s already pretty-innocent face grew even more so!

 

 

Stumbling in a daze, she would have fallen right to the floor if her friend hadn’t caught her-

 

 

 

After a time, her eyes opened.

 

 

 

"Oh **my**!”

 

 

She sounded like a fairy.

 

 

 

 

Or something.

 

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

...She made eye contact with _him_.

 

 

And what I was afraid of finally came to pass-

 

 

 

She stood up, floated over there as if she owned a pair of wings, and dropped to her knees.

 

 

_Crying._

 

 

 

"I'm so sorry!

 

"I kept running away from you because I was afraid of the truth”.

 

 

 

"Wha...what truth?" I choked out.

 

 

**Please don’t be-!!**

 

 

 

"That......that.....I love you, so very much”.

 

 

 

My heart **froze**.

 

 

 

“Oh, please do forgive me! I beg for your mercy!!"

 

 

 

The Cursed God smiled, and pulled out a handkerchief, tenderly cupping her chin-

 

 

 

"There, there, my sweet flower”.

 

 

He gently wiped her eyes, and then stroked her face.

 

 

 

 

”You haven't the need to ask for forgiveness. You're to be my bride, are you not? And that is _more_ than forgiveness”.

 

 

 

She nodded!?

 

 

"I am to be your bride”.

 

 

 

"Mystic, don't! It's a trick-"

 

 

 

But I called out in vain.

 

 

 

 

"No, it's not”, she giggled.

 

 

"He's very sweet and kind and merciful. What a lucky young girl I am for him to love me in return”.

 

 

 

"Indeed you are, my treasure”, he sighed lovingly.

 

 

"Now shall I show you to the bridal suite?"

 

 

 

"Oh yes _please_!”

 

 

 

Sweeping her up into his arms bridal style, she nestled into him like a trustful child.

 

 

 

He flashed us all a smirk.

 

 

 

 

And then disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nooo, Mystic, don't leave!


	36. Event Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody snaps.

-Alice-

 

 

 

“We’ve…”

 

 

We’ve lost.

 

 

 

The world spun in front of my eyes…

 

 

 

"We've lost Mystic. The world. Reality. Our lives as we know them now”.

 

 

 

"Have faith, Alice”, Penelope tried to reassure me.

 

"There's hope yet”.

 

 

" **WHERE?** "

 

 

 

Envy jumped, and even Candy Pop raised an eyebrow…

 

 

 

"WHERE IS THIS **HOPE** YOU CLAIM IS COMING? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANY”.

 

 

 

 

Everything we did kept falling apart, and now…

 

 

Now it was like I just couldn’t keep **_quiet_** about it anymore!!

 

 

 

"I don't know”, she said severely.

 

"But it's better than if we just mope around-“

 

 

 

"And delude ourselves from the truth”.

 

A bitter smile.

 

 

"That's all hope **is** ”.

 

 

 

_"Hope is no delusion and you know it!”_

 

 

 

You should know better than that.

 

 

 

 

 

"Anyway, we have to go back”.

 

 

 

"What's the point? We're just gonna **lose** her again…”

 

 

 

“-Not this time we're not”.

 

 

 

 

"I'm kinda on Alice's side here…”

 

 

The Demon currently trapped in my body had finally deigned to speak up.

 

 

 

 

"That dart seemed to be pretty d* powerful”.

 

 

 

"Yes, but it doesn't mean it's permanent”, Penelope countered, the words coming from her mouth like Truth Bullets.

 

 

Shooting down all our arguments…

 

 

 

 

"I wish we were all back at the lair of the Cursed God”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One golden flash later, and there we were.

 

 

 

 

"You guys?" Joey looked half-relieved, half-terrified to see us.

 

 

"You're okay!"

 

 

 

 

We quickly saw why:

 

 

 

In one of the cells, someone lay against the bars on their knees, crying hopeless, bitter tears.

 

Sparkles covered her pure outfit, and flawless skin…

 

 

 

 It was Bird.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No...Alina and Bird's duo...


	37. Harrowing Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In light of what just happened-

This…

 

 

This _had_ to be a bad dream…!!

 

 

 

Bird was…no, her **heart** was…in such agony!?

 

 

 

"How......?"

 

 

 

"She just keeps screaming about how much she loves the Cursed God”, Eva quavered.

 

"We don't know why..."

 

 

Hearing her was making my _own_ heart break, but-

 

We had to figure out what happened, which meant that I had to keep on being strong-

 

 

"It had to have been the work of an angel bath”. Penelope sighed.

 

"No other concoction would drive someone so mad with devotion to the point where they'd...

 

..."

 

 

"Then how is Mystic staying sane?"

 

 

 

…Leah had a good point.

 

 

 

 

"It's because that devotion is being reciprocated. If he were to stop showing her affection, she'd go the same way”.

 

 

Rosanna’s eyes were filled with worry.

 

"Think that'd ever happen?"

 

 

 

"I can't say for sure. At this point, he's sending mixed signals, at least to us. To Mystic he's probably the only thing that matters now”.

 

 

 

A shiver crawled up my spine.

  

 

 

"If only she was this devoted to _us_ ”, Aqua snarked.

 

"Then maybe she wouldn't have ran away from us so many times”.

 

 

"But that's not who she is”, Tristen countered.

 

 

 

"How do you know what she's like?"

 

 

 

"I can see it in her. She can't stay in one place for too long without---"

 

 

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great and s*”.

 

 

Huh?

 

 

 

-My boy, did you just-!?

 

 

 

 

"But if we don't snap Mystic out of this spell, none of us will be leaving THIS place”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…He looked really agitated.

 

 

 

_Fine?_

 

Yeah, I don’t know…

 

 

 

"Well, what do you expect US to do?" Erica snapped irritably.

 

" _We're_ the ones trapped in cages. Unless you've got the keys, you're on your own”.

 

 

 

"Can't you wish them out of their cages?"

 

 

 

Penelope gawped.

 

 

“Wh-wh-you-how-!?

 

What part of 'magic-proof dungeon' did you not understand? These stones fall under that category of magic!!”

 

 

 

"I was just making a suggestion”.

 

 

"I know, but we're on a time constraint”.

 

 

 

"Then let's just go to her ourselves”, Candy Pop suggested.

 

 

 

Everyone looked at him like he was nuts.

 

He rolled his eyes.

 

 

"You sure that'll work?" Safiya questioned.

 

 

 

"Hey, it's worth a shot.

 

Now c'mon.

 

 

Who the h* knows when this wedding's gonna be?"

 

 

 

Turning on his heels, he was about to speed off down the corridor-

 

 

"Hang on, C.P.”

 

 

Penelope stopped him.

 

 

 

"We don't want to wander aimlessly for the next two hours. We need to come to a consensus and make an informed decision about where to go----"

 

 

 

"Or we could just look at this map engraved in the wall”, Rosanna pointed out.

 

 

 

Spinning around, we could see it, wrought in gold-

 

 

 

"Well, that's convenient”.

 

 

 

 

Erica shrugged.

 

 

"Bit lazy, though, I feel like the writer's not even trying now”.

 

 

 

Once the Bridal Suite had been located, it was determined:

 

 

"Okay, so it should take us about fifteen minutes to get there.

 

If we go to the right and then......"

 

 

Safiya’s mind was calculating up a storm.

 

 

 

"How big of a lair is this!?” I asked incredulously.

 

 

"This is just _one_ of his lairs”, Calliope amended.

 

 

"Geez, is this guy loaded?"

 

Dooper’s eyes were wide with disbelief!!

 

 

_"How can he afford multiple lairs!?”_

 

 

 

“-Okay, I think I know where we need to go”.

 

 

Racing past Candy Pop, _Safiya_ took the lead-

 

 

 

 

"Follow me”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mystic, here we come!!


	38. Puppies, And Kittens, And Bunnies, Oh My!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eavesdropping gone wrong.

"I can't do this! 

 

I've been trying for nearly an hour now, and I _still_ can't make a flower grow”.

 

 

"I know you can do it, my love, It's just a matter of concentration”.

 

 

"But you promised to let me play with puppies and kittens and bunnies when we arrived”.

 

 

"And I will, but first you need to tap into your magic. Think of a happy memory”.

 

 

"I can't think of anything, I feel like my life only began just over an hour ago. How can I have a happy memory?"

 

 

*

 

 

"Now close your eyes and concentrate on the memory.

 

Let it make the flower grow”.

 

 

"Mystic, my darling, open your eyes”.

 

 

"I.....I made that happen.

 

I did that with......magic?”

 

 

"You did”.

 

 

"I believe you promised ME something once I did that”.

 

 

Now you enjoy, my sweet, precious lollipop…Lilith and I have some details to arrange for the wedding”.

 

 

*

 

"I think I'm gonna be sick”, Candy Pop said in the most-disgusted tone to ever exist.

 

"The Cursed God's turning into the Sappy God!"

 

 

"Yes indeed”, Penelope affirmed.

 

"Either he really does love her or he's a very dedicated actor”.

 

 

"What kind of creature like him would love ANYONE?"

 

That was Envy…

 

 

"I mean, he really could”, Rosanna pointed out.

 

"You never know”.

 

 

 

Sounds of something pawing…

 

 

And the door that we’d been listening through swung open!

 

 

Mystic was standing there.

 

Staring.

 

 

Then she gasped.

 

 

 

"Hey! You're here!"

 

 

Catching hold of Rosanna’s wrist, she pulled her inside.

 

Naturally, we all piled in after her-

 

 

 

Sooo many puppies, kittens, and bunnies!!!

 

 

 

"Hey! Get these creatures off of me!"

 

I couldn’t help but laugh a little…the animals really liked his twirling vines.

 

 

 

Safiya got occupied by the kittens, and the Jetsetter found an adorable little French bulldog…

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, there I was, too shy to pet even one…

 

 

 

 

 

"Seriously?

 

You can handle being interrogated by a Russian demon lord, but small animals are your kryptonite?"

 

 

 

Candy Pop looked absolutely done while Penelope’s hands kept twitching.

 

 

 

"Russian demon lords don't demonstrate neoteny”.

 

 

"That's probably gonna go on a t-shirt”.

 

 

 

"Okay, there's definitely a story in there somewhere, and how did you know?"

 

 

 

"I was the reason she was being interrogated”.

 

 

 

 

This was news to me…

 

 

 

 

"When did that even happen?"

 

 

 

"I would say....perhaps a year or two after joining the Society”.

 

 

 

 

…How soon could I hear this story?

 

But just when I’d gotten up enough courage to ask-

 

 

 

"Um, have we already forgotten why we're here?"

 

 

Envy, the voice of Reason.

 

Thank you so much!!

 

 

 

Successfully re-directing our attention, it didn’t take long for us to spot Mystic:

 

She was lying on the ground while some Golden Retriever puppies said hello the only way they knew how-

 

 

Mass licking!!

 

 

 

"Mystic”, Safiya started, "We're here to help you”.

 

 

She, too, was very agitated…

 

 

 

I guess those big doe-eyes plus the dogs were irresistible, huh?

 

 

 

"With what?"

 

 

"We're here to help you escape”.

 

 

"Why would I want to escape? This place is magical!"

 

 

 

"Because of that Cursed God?”

 

Candy Pop’s face was slightly amused and disturbed at the same time.

 

 

"The who?"

 

Cute head-tilt.

 

 

"Your husband-to-be”.

 

Penelope took over.

 

 

The sweet cadence of wind chimes from her mouth.

 

 

 

Everyone visibly tried to keep a straight face.

 

 

 

"That's a funny joke!"

 

"I'm afraid it's no joke, my darling. Your husband-to-be is a corrupted God and he's using you to cause chaos”.

 

"Okay, THAT part's not funny. I don't think we're even talking about the same person”.

 

"I believe we are”.

 

 

She folded her arms, and pouted.

 

 

"You're not even giving him a chance. He's so sweet and kind and loving. I trust him with my life”.

 

 

 

A cold shiver snaked up my spine…

 

 

That's Bad-News Bears.

 

 

Really bad news…!!

 

 

 

"Once you're married to him, you're not going to have much of a life. He's going to make you immortal, spread chaos, and take over all of time. Unless you come with us”.

 

 

"I think you're worrying too much”.

 

 

That giggle, again-!

 

 

 

"I'll show you he's sweet”.

 

 

 

She cleared her throat-

 

 

"My love! I have some people who I want you to meet~”

 

 

 

 

No, **wait-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am not gonna lie, almost quit. I'm really scared now that I'm gonna hurt someone with this...
> 
> But I don't want to give up.
> 
> So here it is.


	39. Reality Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh...I think...I've lost it.

Too late.

 

 

He magically appeared, and I wanted so badly to just LEAVE, but no, I couldn’t up and abandon everyone like that…

 

 

 

"You called, my little lolly?"

 

 

 

I could hear Candy Pop gagging from the sickeningly-saccharine tone he was putting on.

 

 

 

"These people don't believe me about how sweet you are”.

 

 

 

"Is that so? Perhaps I should call Lilith in and she can....testify to them”.

 

 

 

 

**Noooo** , no, no, no.

 

 

No thanks.

 

 

 

"Um, no thanks, we're good”, Safiya echoed.

 

 

"Oh yes please!"

 

 

Mystic clapped joyfully, bouncing up and down like a spring.

 

 

"Lilith's a very good speaker. She's very persuasive and very kind”.

 

 

 

"Um, I really think we're good”, Rosanna rebuffed gently.

 

 

 

"Oh? But then you won't see my little dove's perspective on the matter”.

 

The Cursed God sounded a little sad about that.

 

 

 

Penelope coughed.

 

 

"Believe me, we're _completely_ fine with being ignorant of it”.

 

 

 

"Well then at least stay”, his ‘Bride’, begged…"And I can show you”.

 

Her accent was… _British_ , now!?

 

 

 

**SLAM!**

 

_Click-_

 

 

 

The door-

 

 

 

She rushed over and tried valiantly to unlock it, but to no avail.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic, open the door, this isn't funny”.

 

 

"I didn't lock the door…”

 

 

 

Was it all in my mind, or was her hair suddenly styling itself?

 

 

 

 

“My love locked it”.

 

 

 

"Why did he do that?"

 

Rosanna’s voice had also changed, and now her clothes were shifting too-

 

 

 

_Everyone’s_ were!?

 

 

 

 

"Mystic, what in the name of sanity is going on?"

 

Safiya was just as confused as the rest of us!

 

 

 

Snow started to fall from out of nowhere!!?

 

 

 

"Is the room growing? Or are we shrinking!?”

 

 

Not even I was immune…

 

 

 

A giant castle appeared right in front of us.

 

 

 

"Mystic, please do tell us what's going on!”

 

 

 

I was already feeling like I was dreaming, and hearing that accent come from Envy’s mouth complete with a more human-like appearance…well let’s just say I gave up trying to pretend to know the difference between reality, and…this.

 

 

 

"It's a Victorian Christmas, of course!”

 

 

"But it's not December…”

 

Candy Pop sounded very uncomfortable, and I tried not to laugh out of disbelief at his new voice.

 

 

 

A whole entire town surrounded us as well…!

 

 

  

"It doesn't have to be December for it to be Christmas, silly!" 

 

 

 

 

Grabbing Rosanna’s wrist, she pulled her along behind.

 

 

I flinched as the town began to erupt in the standard array of clamoring voices, and carriage sounds-

 

 

 

"Now come along! We must get back to the castle before midnight, or else Father Christmas won't deliver presents!"

 

 

 

"What time is it now?"

 

 

Penelope…how was it possible for someone to ha _ve an even more pronounced British accent than usual!!?_

 

 

 

"Nought by 4 hours to, I believe”.

 

 

"Then that should be plenty of time to look around, don't you agree?"

 

 

"Oh goodie golly gumdrops!"

 

 

 

Candy Pop looked like he was gonna gag again…

 

 

 

"May we? Oh please say we may!"

 

 

 

"If you wish”.

 

 

 

…Now Victorian Winter clothes were magically materialising upon us!

 

 

"Then let's go!"

 

 

 

She hopped up and down like a little child, and ran off, befuddled Jetsetter in tow.

 

 

 

 

"Why are you playing along?"

 

 

Safiya had leaned into the Hypnotist, whispering.

 

 

 

"We might as well, because I do not foresee us leaving anytime soon anyways. Now let us proceed. I'm certain there is a lot she wishes for us to see”.

 

 

 

 

If she said so…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh. Christmas in Summer. --


	40. Dream (World) Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Together now, but in the middle of something else entirely!?

-Envy-

 

 

 

Ushering us into a sweet shoppe, I heard someone behind me exclaim appreciatively.

 

"Aww, how quaint!”

 

 

Once the ringing of the doorbell had faded, Mystic ran over to a tray of free samples, and took one for each of us…

 

Unfortunately, I would never be able to look at the color white the same way ever again.

 

 

 

"Here, try one”.

 

 

 

"What are they?"

 

Safiya…I think her name was?

 

 

 

"They're called Perception Sweets. They taste like how the person who gave them to you views you. There's even a lovely little taste guide.

 

Go on.

 

 

In they pop!"

 

 

 

…I couldn’t resist those puppy-dog eyes.

 

 

 

"Mmmm!"

 

Rosanna was first.

 

 

"What does it taste like?"

 

 

"It tastes like apple, but then there's something else”.

 

 

…

 

 

 

"I think that's apples and roses”.

 

 

 

Retrieving a book from the table as well, she flipped through its pages…

 

 

 

"Ah! Apple and roses. _Receiving this flavor means that the person who gave it to you thinks you're very sweet and pretty_ ”.

 

 

 

 

She blushed, giggling.

 

 

 

 

Then Safiya ate hers.

 

 

"Licorice”.

 

 

 

" _Licorice is a sign that this person believes you're very mysterious_ ”.

 

 

 

"I mean, that's fair”, Alice shrugged.

 

"I got pineapple”.

 

 

 

" _Pineapple is an indication that the person believes that you worry too much and too often_ ”.

 

 

 

…A snort from whomever was currently resting in her original body.

 

 

 

 

It hadn’t taken me long to catch on, but I still had yet to know who it was…

 

 

 

 

Their expression shifted from ‘very hot’, to ‘very sour’ all in the span of ten seconds.

 

 

"A spicy, sour lemon!”

 

 

 

" _Sometimes more than one flavor will appear, a common one is Spicy and Sour Lemon._

 

_See pages 690 and 675 for details_.

 

 

Where are they?

 

Aha!

 

 

_Sour Lemon shows that this person believes you are too cynical_. And Spicy? Ah. Here we are. 

 

 

_Indicates a belief in a short temper_ ”.

 

 

 

Alice was the one trying to hold back her laughter, now.

 

 

 

 

Another person I didn’t know went next-

 

 

"I got a salty one”.

 

 

 

 

" _Saltwater_ ,

 

_Indications of displaying signs that one is overstressed and needs to relax_.

 

Fear not.

 

 

This Christmas should do the trick!"

 

 

 

 

My turn.

 

 

 

"Oh my!

 

It's a Sour Lemon Licorice”.

 

 

Mysterious, and cynical.

 

Great.

 

 

 

(…I knew that I usually spoke in a somewhat-formal manner, but this was ridiculous).

 

 

 

 

And, last but not least-

 

 

"I got grape”.

 

 

 

" _Grape shows that one is believed to display elegance_ ”.

 

 

 

Penelope smiled, and Mystic skipped off to look at something else.

 

 

"What does strawberry mean?"

 

 

 

 

-She came racing back.

 

 

 

 

" _If you are one who likes to keep a low profile, beware this flavor. Strawberry shows that this person believes that you are hiding many secrets_ ”.

 

 

 

 

Huddling us together, she whispered urgently:

 

"I thought the Cursed God made her completely innocent. How would she be able to catch onto something like that?"

 

 

 

"Well, ARE you hiding secrets?"

 

 

"As if I'm going to tell you!"

 

 

 

-In response to the one who looked like, but wasn’t Alice.

 

 

 

"Everyone, I don't think we should hang around here for too long”, the Writer warned.

 

 

"Mystic will likely be wondering where we are soon”.

 

 

 

She had a point…so we ended up following her, even further into this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penelope is 99% secrets, didn't you know? (:


	41. Troubling Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is real?

 

-Alice-

 

 

To the main theme of the Nutcracker ballet, we followed Mystic wherever she went-at a rather fast pace, too!

 

 

‘Kid in a candy store’, didn’t even _begin_ to cover it!!

 

 

 

"Does anyone else hear that?" Envy asked.

 

 

"Hear what?" Safiya didn’t seem disturbed at all.

 

 

"That music?"

 

 

 

"Of course I do-Oh, how darling!"

 

Mystic cut herself off mid-sentence at the sight of a little doll perched upon a random shelf.

 

 

 

It looked exactly like her, down to the blue bow at the waist of her dress.

 

Well, exactly like her except for the tiny crown perched upon her head…

 

 

 

"She's beautiful!”

 

The girl picked her up as gently as if she were clutching a real child.

 

 

"I'll call her Lady Rosalia Marie”.

 

 

 

I wanted to both hug, and strangle it.

 

_Cuuuuteee~_ but **EVIL**.

 

 

 

"I don't think a doll would belong in a sweet shoppe”, Penelope said.

 

 

 

"Goodie Goodie Jolly-Golly Goshings Gumdrops, you're absolutely right!"

 

 

She twirled around like an amateur ballerina as she gushed, and Candy Pop threw up in his mouth for the hundredth time.

 

 

 

"How could I have been so naive about that?"

 

 

 

 

_Yes, because THAT'S what you think you're naive about._

 

 

 

 

“-We must take it back to the shoppe at once!"

 

 

She ran off, still spinning…

 

 

 

A fog insidiously trickled into the cracks of my mind, making me feel-

 

 

_Cleansed!?_

 

 

 

_What's......going on?_

 

 

 

 

Where…where was I born, again?

 

-Oh yes! Lollyland, Christmasville! Wait.

 

 

 

_No, that’s not-_

 

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

Having to trail after her yet again, a Doll Shoppe rose in front of us-

 

 

!!!

 

 

 

"How do you do, little darling?"

 

 

 

I barely heard the ringing of the bell over the pounding of my own heart.

 

I stopped **dead** -

 

 

 

"I'm not going any further in”.

 

 

"Oh, don't be such a silly sapling!” Mystic scolded me, but she d _idn’t understand-_!!

 

 

 

"Sir Calvin Montgomery is ever the friendliest doll-maker there ever was!"

 

 

 

 

My mind began to cloud.

 

 

Wait.....why was I so hesitant? 

 

 

 

I tried valiantly to remember-

 

 

 

I know now! I've felt so fond of him for so long.

 

 

**My stomach twisted.**

 

 

 

 

Wait....no, that can't be, but.......what else could it be?

 

 

 

 

"We found her at the sweet shoppe!”

 

 

She held it out to my beloved-

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

My…?

 

 

 

"Indeed.

 

I modeled her after Christmasville's very own darling little princess”.

 

 

 

He bopped her affectionately on the nose.

 

 

 

 

I...I...This...

 

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

"You're a princess!?"

 

 

 

Of _course_ she is! 

 

 

A little voice insisted,

 

 

She always has been. Wait...what? No.....

 

 

 

_Of course._ But then.....how do I know her?

 

 

 

 

“-Ah, Lady Lolly!"

 

 

Calvin snapped me out of my confusing thoughts, eyes trained solely upon me.

 

 

What-

 

 

 

You've forgotten so soon, silly girl? You're Lady Ermengarde Lolly, the daughter of the Duke of Lollyville, cousin of Princess Lottie.

 

…

 

 

…

 

 

…

 

 

..

 

 

..

 

 

..

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

**Yeah.**

 

 

 

My clothes shifted around me again, dissolving the purple coat-dress to a rich, wine-burgundy outfit with a large bustle, and crowned with multiple lollipops.

 

 

My boring shoes morphed to-

 

 

**No…**

 

 

 

But who else could I be?

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

...

 

 

 

"How much is she?"

 

 

"Not a pence.

 

In fact, I have one for each of you."

 

 

 

He pulled out another doll, and this one was the spitting image of ‘Ermengarde’, fancy-schmancey wear and all!

 

 

 

"Oh, it's lovely, Sir!

 

Thank you ever so very much!"

 

 

 

She took it without so much as batting an eyelash.

 

 

 

Doll #3 was pink, brunette, and it looked a lot like-

 

 

 

Wait. What?

 

 

_Have you really forgotten? You're Princess Alycia, elder sister to Princess Lottie. You two are the very sweetest in the kingdom of Christmasville._

 

 

 

 

Ro.

 

 

 

 

Envy looked like he was gonna collapse, so I grabbed his arm, and yanked him outside, while everyone else left ahead of us.

 

 

"Does anyone else feel groggy?"

 

 

 

Nods from everybody and their brother.

 

 

 

"I feel like I can't remember anything before we came here”.

 

 

The newly-monikered N. gasped, eyes worriedly fixing on Saf-

 

 

 

"Do you think there's something changing us?"

 

 

 

"Oh, most certainly”.

 

 

 

 

**Come on** , who _wouldn’t_ be able to figure that one out?

 

 

 

"We need to get Mystic to tell us how to get out before we succumb to this lotus eater machine, or whatever that trope is called”.

 

 

 

Brave words, Penelope, but they’re kind of _not here_ -

 

 

 

Another ringing of the bell, and I stood corrected.

 

 

 

 

 

The lyric sound of a harp trilled nine times…

 

 

 

 

"Oh my Goodie Golly Gumdrops! We must hurry back to the castle or we'll miss the Christmas party”.

 

 

Alice never talked like that.

 

Ever.

 

 

 

…If this were different circumstances, I would’ve been laughing my a* off.

 

 

 

"But what about the other dolls?" Mystic asked, distraught.

 

 

 

 

"I'm afraid they'll have to wait”, Penelope interrupted.

 

"We must make haste to the castle at once!"

 

 

 

I heard Saf the Statue lean in and whisper: "Why are we going to the castle?"

 

 

 

 

"Because if we're going to find an answer, it'd likely be in there".

 

 

 

 

Good call.

 

 

...It was gonna take more than this to separate the three of us once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind manipulation...*Shudders*


	42. It Gets Cutesy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Think you can handle it?

There they were skipping along like two schoolchildren, singing a cutesy little rhyme that brought up scarring memories of that hideous ‘mousey’ phase.

 

 

 

"Oh gosh, if I have to see anymore of this sweet cutesy-wutesy pwecious British schmaltziness, I think I might actually be sick”.

 

 

 

 

"Then you probably should've brought something to put your sick into”.

 

 

 

…

 

 

You know what, Penelope!?

 

 

 

 

 

“-I have a feeling it's not over yet. Look, up ahead”.

 

 

 

 

There was the castle.

 

Mystic knocked daintily on the door, and the whole shebang opened up like a dollhouse.

 

 

"Mother, we're home!"

 

 

 

On cue, a red-haired, red-eyed woman came down the stairs-

 

A regular Queen of Hearts.

 

 

 

"Lottie! Alycia! Ermengarde!" Hugs and kisses, of _course_ , there were-!!

 

 

"All three of you precious little gumdrops are back safe and sound”.

 

 

 

 

"Oh man, can this get anymore cutesy and Hallmarkey?"

 

 

 

"Where's Pa'Pa?"

 

‘Lottie’, tilted her head like a bamboozled parrot.

 

 

 

"Here I am!"

 

 

A king figure made his way downstairs, not long after she’d spoken.

 

 

 

"Ah! All of my pretty little maiden girls have returned”.

 

 

 

 

This time, it wasn’t just me-

 

We _all_ cringed.

 

 

 

"Alycia, my sweet, pwecious, gummy caramel bow pastry pony princess pie treat!

 

Ermengarde, my tiny, marshmallow puppy lolly lady boo-boo schnuggly bear face.

 

 

And Lottie, my darling, lovely, little, innocent, cocoa sugar swan unicorn kitten bunny vanilla cupcake doll princess with sprinkles and all the history of the world's cuteness!"

 

 

 

 

I shouldn’t have asked-

 

 

 

I collapsed over the nearest trash bin, and **_heaved_** until my lungs gave out.

 

 

 

 

"I think I'm developing hypertension just by listening to all of this”, N. said from behind me.

 

 

"Yeah, no kidding”.

 

Even the Elf Man sounded sick of it!

 

 

And P. quietly growled.

 

 

 

No points for why.

 

 

 

"Oh, and of course, my lovely wife. My sweet gummy kitten, how I love you _ever_ so much”.

 

 

 

-I went under again.

 

 

 

"Oh, but I love you more, my pudding pie of love!"

 

 

 

 

"No, I love YOU more, my schnuggly-wuggly boo-boo bear”.

 

"No, I love YOU more, my yummy-nummy cotton candy Poopsie-Whoopsie butterfly bear face pie”.

 

"No, I love YOU more, my pwecious Poopsiekins Pumpkin of Love”.

 

"No, I love YOU more, my Schnicky Boom Boom Snuggle Wuggle Kitten Poopsie Bear”.

 

"No, I love YOU more, my Pwecious Love Sausage Cookie Pop Kitten Darling Pieface!"

 

"No, I love YOU more, my Sweet Wittle Sugar Booger Pork Chop Sweetsie Cheeks Kissyface Bubbles!"

 

"No, I love YOU more, my---!"

 

 

 

**_Kissy_ **noises-!!?

 

 

 

"OH MY GOD! SOMEONE KILL ME PLEASE!"

 

 

I could not, I repeat, could **NOT** throw up anymore!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

"Mother, father!

 

What about decorating the tree?”

 

 

"Of course, my little sugar cube-“

 

 

 

Stoooopp….

 

 

 

“And your friends should join us! In fact, they absolutely ever so must help. Because this year, we're decorating—“

 

With magic”.

 

 

“YAAAAYYYY~”

 

 

 

Ugh. Why…

 

 

 

Somebody shoved a tiny wand into my tightly-clenched grip.

 

 

 

 

"And would you like to know what's even better?”

 

 

"What? What is it?"

 

 

…

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

Oh come on, now you’re just teasing-

 

 

 

"It's powered by faith, AND EVERYONE singing!"

 

 

 

NOOOOOOO

 

 

 

"Yay!"

 

 

 

 

I could feel my eyes twitching rapidly as _I mentally screamed into the abyss!!_

 

 

 

 

-If he thought I was gonna go along with this, boy would he have another think coming.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're either nauseatingly sick, or you're laughing uproariously. How right am I? (:


	43. A Christmas Worth Celebrating?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stepford mixed with hot cocoa.
> 
>  
> 
> (Brief suicidal ideation). Not taking any chances.

If they weren’t giggling like chipmunks high off their a*s on helium, they were _singing_ like chipmunks high off their a*s.

 

 

…Can I just **_DIE_ **now!?

 

 

 

A band of rougue Smurfs had single-handedly managed to take over this place, I **f*ing** -

 

 

 

 

I could literally _feel_ the blood draining out of my ears!

 

 

 

 

"Why isn't it working?"

 

 

"What's not working, Shmoopie Bear Pie Princess?"

 

 

"My wand”.

 

 

 

As Daddy Dearest mulled over his ‘daughter’s’ little issue:

 

 

“"I think there's someone missing”.

 

 

 

 

Footsteps.

 

Towards **me**.

 

 

Somebody’s disgustingly-warm hands grabbed my ankles-

 

 

 

"Oh **God** ”,

 

They were trying to pull me away-

 

 

 

I dug my fingers harder into the sides of the can.

 

 

 

 

"Let go of me. I WILL NOT partake in this schmaltzy cutesy-wootsey British poopstorm”.

 

 

 

"But everyone MUST”.

 

 

That d*n maid let go, and hooked an arm around my waist instead!

 

And _yanked_ -

 

 

 

Pain slashed through my knuckles as she ripped me loose, and began to haul me across the floor!

 

 

 

 

"Or you'll disappoint my darling wittle pwincess”.

 

 

Mystic did her best impression of a droopy-eyed puppy.

 

 

 

"Or would you prefer we......persuade you?"

 

 

A chill down my spine-!

 

 

 

That Queen was giving off serious ‘tear-my-face-off’ vibes.

 

 

 

"Um, no. I could just.....leave”.

 

 

 

"But why would you want to?"

 

 

Alice…

 

 

"Everything's oh so lovely here!"

 

 

 

Once upon a million years ago when everybody was not missing, and, ALIVE she wouldn’t have been so susceptible to this!

 

 

Look at her, just twirling away…

 

 

 

"And besides, you  **can't** leave”, Sir Whatshisface added.

 

 

 

 

_…Again with that passively-threatening tone!_

 

 

 

 

Your highness”.

 

 

Another maid picked right then to show up with fifty mugs of hot chocolate mounted with whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and enough other fixings to sink a small tanker.

 

 

"If I may say so, I do believe a break is necessary.

 

Those darling little angels and their friends should have some hot chocolate. It's always best when it's hot”.

 

 

 

“Marvelous merry marzipan, of course it is!” His Royal Corniness exclaimed.

 

 

…I leaned over and retched for the umpteenth time.

 

 

 

_Who the h* even **eats** marzipan!?_

 

 

 

"Come on everyone!

 

Let's have something to drink!"

 

 

Cheering from the Chipmunk brigade, and more twirling, clapping, etc…

 

 

 

I was doubling over by this time from all the sick coating my stomach!!

 

 

What the f* was up with this!!?

 

 

 

Was Ms. Mystic having too much fun torturing me with all of this hideously-bad fanfiction pandering?

 

All that cuteness and sappiness!!!??

 

 

 

“-Besides”, I sputtered, “I can't sing”.

 

 

 

“Of course you can! Everyone can sing”, the King insisted.

 

 

“And in this castle, everyone here can sing well!"

 

 

 

Of course they could!

 

 

 

~Music came on from invisible speakers:

 

The Overture of Something-Or-Other…

 

 

Probably that Overrated Nutcracker.

 

 

 

They started to sing and dance.

 

 

A regular ol’ Disney routine, frills and ALL.

 

 

 

 

**King:** When we're all in this castle, all we feel is pure joy.

 

 

**Queen:**  Under this tree is a present for every girl and boy. 

 

 

**King:**  But only if you're good and jolly and so sweet.

 

 

**Queen:**  And if you're not, no fear. Soon you'll be smiling in defeat. 

 

 

**Lottie:**  On this holiday of toys 

 

 

**Ermengarde:**  and the most beautiful of noise,

 

 

**Alycia:** there are just so many treats

 

 

**Trio:**  that we know you'll want to eat. 

 

 

**Alycia:**  And then once you are all done

 

 

**Ermengarde:**  we'll have ever so much fun

 

 

**Lottie:**  as we decorate the tree

 

 

**Trio:**  while we sing so merrily. 

 

 

**Lottie:**  And then when all the fun is done

 

 

**Ermengarde:**  Up to our bedroom we will run. 

 

 

**Alycia:**  And we'll get all tucked in beds.

 

 

**Ermengarde:**  As sugar plums dance in our heads.

 

 

**Lottie:**  As we wait to hear the clopping of their hooves upon the roof,

 

 

**Trio:**  Cause we know that Father Christmas comes to give us quite the loot--

 

 

 

"OKAY, OKAY, I GET IT!!”

 

 

 

The irritating noise stopped on a dime.

 

 

Finally!

 

 

 

"Y'all really love Christmas, can I PLEASE go now?"

 

 

 

**No.**

 

 

"You have to stay and help, one way or the other. So, are you going to do it of your own free will or do we have to........convince you?"

 

 

 

_WHAT WAS IT WITH THIS KING AND QUEEN HAVING SOME D* THREATENING UNDERTONES?_

 

 

 

 

“Okay, fine”.

 

 

 

“Splendid!”

 

The King smiled, and I had the urge to smack it right off his smug face!

 

“But first, hot chocolate!”

 

 

 

Now there was a constant line of them-

 

Butlers and even _more_ maids…

 

 

 

The Stepford 5 got theirs first, and Mystic walked away with a whipped-cream mustache right off the bat.

 

Cue acting like that Modern Major General while the other two ‘kids’ laughed.

 

 

Meanwhile, their parents snagged in the corner under the excuse of feeding each other whipped cream and chocolate.

 

Don’t think you can tell me anything different about those bumping noses!!

 

 

 

This was getting waaaay out of hand-

 

I thought I was gonna be sick again-

 

 

 

I light-footed it over to the only SANE people left!!!

 

 

 

 

"Guys, we need to get out of here!

 

I need to see a dead body, some blood, even just a paper cut, ANYTHING to get away from this schmaltzy wholesome Rockwellian family!!”

 

 

 

"Not until I destroy that queen”.

 

 

Penelope’s eyes were practically bright-red with rage-

 

 

 

"Why?"

 

 

 

She stared at me like I was stoopid.

 

 

 

 

"That's Lilith!"

 

 

"It is?"

 

 

 

"To a T! That can only mean the Cursed God isn't far behind”.

 

 

 

 

"Oh, Lottie dear”, the Queen chirped, “If you would be so kind as to find your purest gown to wear. The prince is going to be arriving tonight”.

 

 

"A prince?"

 

 

 

Wing-ding eyes.

 

 

 

"Indeed”.

 

 

“-Oh, but the tree!"

 

 

 

"Worry not, my precious marshmallow pumpkin.

 

I can simply use my master wand to decorate it”.

 

 

 

He said that, and…

 

 

_**THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?** _

 

 

 

"Oh, and your Godbrother Patrimeyer is coming with some of his gifts”.

 

 

"Godbrother Patrimeyer!"

 

 

 

The girls freaked out.

 

 

_Happily._

 

 

 

KNOCK-!!

 

 

Mystic ran over to the window.

 

 

 

 

"It's the guests, pa'pa!"

 

 

 

 

Getting up out of his chair, the King pulled out his nifty wand, and now there was a giant party everywhere.

 

Miss Innocence was even deeper into her namesake, with an even more ‘pure’ dress to match.

 

 

 

 

"Let them in, please”.

 

 

 

 

The maid let them in, and an endless parade started.

 

Only-

 

 

 

I KNEW some of these people!!?

 

 

 

 

"Ines?

 

Stella?

 

Super Spy?

 

 

Dooper!?”

 

 

 

 

-This was like a badly-fractured fairytale.

 

 

 

 

A horn blared right in my ear!!

 

 

 

 

"Presenting his royal majesty...!”

 

 

 

 

 

All the guests bowed.

 

Sure, he _looked_ younger…

 

 

But I could **still** tell who he was.

 

 

 

 

 

Anger rushed through my veins as my eyes met the Cursed God’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That man better watch out.


	44. Demon-To-Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If it sounds too good...
> 
>  
> 
> (Uh...padded room mention, insanity, the c-word WARNINGS).

Silence.

 

 

-She ran off to go hide behind Alice and Ro.

 

 

 

He came closer anyway, and a sudden, magically-convenient spotlight appeared.

 

 

 

"Please don't be afraid…I'm not going to hurt you”.

 

 

 

 

 

She blushed, somehow making herself look even more like an ‘angelic princess’ than she already was.

 

 

 

Pretty sure my face was a solid green, but on the inside-

 

 

 

 

I was smoking-hot red!

 

 

Just sound those trumpets, and he was going DOWN-!!

 

 

 

"Would you care for a dance, my little flower petal?"

 

 

He held out his hand…

 

 

 

They came on as promised, and I flying-tackled him to the ground!

 

 

 

 

"Not today, S*!”

 

(To quote Eva Gutowski)

 

 

_-Music Ends, 2_

 

_Now we have total silence-_

 

 

 

 

"What on earth are you doing to the prince, you ragamuffin!?”

 

 

 

"Prince?"

 

 

_Yeah, right._

 

 

 

 

 

"Prince of He-!!

 

 

 

maybe!

 

 

 

 

Ro’s hands quickly covered my mouth.

 

 

 

"He said a naughty word! He said a naughty word!"

 

 

 

 

 

Both herself and Alice clamped down on Mystic’s ears, while I scoffed.

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh come on! Are you serious? You can't keep sheltering her from everything, especially if your 'parents' are marrying her off to literal S*!”

 

 

 

"You should be ashamed of yourself!"

 

Stella sniffed.

 

 

 

"Nein!

 

Dere vill nicht be any shame vhile I'm here!”

 

 

 

 

…And _now_ who’ve we got?

 

 

 

Some guy dragging in a small country’s worth of wrapped packages.

 

 

 

 

Looked kinda familiar, though…

 

 

 

 

 

"Guten nacht, eferyone!"

 

 

 

 

 

The three ‘kids’ jumped up and down until I was sure that the floor was gonna give out.

 

 

"Godbrother Patrimeyer!"

 

 

 

 

As he was hugging them, he gushed:

 

 

"Ah, my sveet little dolls, it is so lofely to zee all off you!"

 

 

 

 

"Where did you go this year?" (Mystic)

 

 

"Did you meet any strange people?" (Alice)

 

 

"What kinds of treats did you eat?" (Ro)

 

 

 

"All in goot time, my little Kristallpuppen!”

 

 

He booped their noses.

 

 

 

 

-That _eyepatch!_

I could see it…

 

 

 

Get rid of that, and he was-

 

 

 

_Matpat?_ What did they do to you!?

 

 

 

 

 

I grunted as my back suddenly hit the tile.

 

 

That lying ‘Prince’ was now on top of ME-

 

 

 

I could use this.

 

 

 

 

Clutching onto his collar with the strongest grip I could muster, I thrust him closer while everybody else was distracted.

 

 

 

**Don't think I don't know who you are.**

 

 

 

 

 

I was harshly whispering-

 

 

 

 

"If you think you're keeping Mystic under this spell, you've got another thing coming!"

 

 

 

 

He just smirked, and pulled away, folding his arms.

 

 

 

"You ARE smarter than you look, demon boy, but don't think you're gonna take my flower away so easily this time”.

 

 

 

"You know, you're not making yourself seem any nicer.

 

Isn't that what you wanted?”

 

 

 

“I retract that statement. You're as stupid as ever”.

 

 

 

Excuse YOU!?

 

 

 

 

 

“I don't care if YOU think I'm nice. It's the others who need to believe I'm merciful and kind”.

 

 

 

 

"So then what's the point of all of this?"

 

 

 

 

“What do you think, idiot? This isn't just to pull my sweet Mystic further under my innocence spell. It's to pull your friends along with her into my grasp:

 

 

Alice,

 

Rosanna,

 

Safiya,

 

Nora,

 

Envy,

 

 

even Penelope”.

 

 

 

"I'll just tell them then”.

 

 

 

"Tell them?" he laughed so loudly I was genuinely surprised that no one else heard.

 

 

"TELL THEM?"

 

 

 

 

He leaned in again.

 

 

 

_Make up your mind, would you!?_

 

 

 

 

 

"Tell ME this; who's gonna believe you?

 

 

In this world, NO ONE.

 

 

 

 

 

They all see me as a sweet and innocent prince wanting to marry an actually sweet and innocent princess.

 

Try to screw that up, try to convince THEM that I'M a demonic entity, and guess what?

 

 

 

 

You're just earning yourself a one-way ticket to a straitjacket and padded room.

 

 

 

 

 

You're absolutely powerless in this world. So your only rational option is to give up”.

 

 

 

 

"Over my g*d*n dead body!”

 

 

"I'd happily have that arranged”.

 

 

...

 

I glared at him while he glared at me.

 

 

Then he smirked.

 

 

 

 

"You know, if you give up now, I'd give you a nice comfy job as a demon in my army”.

 

 

"Why the f* would I accept that ticket to H*?”

 

 

 

"Let's face it, Pops. You and I?

 

 

We're more alike than you'd care to admit:

 

You're just as screwed up as me.

 

We're both demonic entities that can destroy one another.

 

 

Oh wait.

 

 

I forgot.

 

 

You're in a human body.

 

 

 

But that can easily be remedied, if you accept my deal”.

 

 

 

"What deal?"

 

 

 

…He rummaged in his pockets for a Dark Wish Stone.

 

 

 

"Agree to completely surrender to me, and I'll get you out of this god-forsaken shell of a human being for good”.

 

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

..

 

..

 

..

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Well now.

 

 

That was almost too good to pass up.

 

 

 

I’d been wanting to get out of there so d* badly- enough that I'd went Wonderland Ka-Razy over it!!

 

 

 

 

But I couldn’t betray Mystic and everybody else.

 

 

But if I was OUT-

 

 

 

 

All my power would be back-

 

 

 

 

Ugh.

 

 

This…was a tough one.

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh, do come here everyone!"

 

 

Ro’s voice.

 

 

 

"Godbrother Patrimeyer's got new presents for us!"

 

 

 

 

 

Before he stopped crushing my legs with his weight, he left one, final parting shot:

 

 

 

"I'll let you think it over.

 

 

But by midnight, if you haven't pledged your total allegiance to me, I'll make sure you forget everything you ever were and make you into something......let's say, on par with this fantasy realm”.

 

 

 

 

He sauntered away with a muted evil chuckling, while I picked myself up.

 

 

Stomach churning faster than a whirlpool.

 

 

 

 

Out of this body.....permanently?

 

 

 

 

Easy enough…’Just say NO’...

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

Maybe he'd be my best bet to getting back my power. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Then it probably is...?


	45. While The Clock Ticks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midnight is coming.

I avoided the guests for the rest of the night.

 

Who could dance at a time like this!?

 

 

 

…It would’ve ended with me on the floor anyhow!

 

 

 

 

All I could think of was his promise to get me out.

 

 

He’d said that he would but-

 

 

 

Why should I trust him? 

 

 

 

 

-And then somebody would talk, or do something really sappy and stupid, and I’d be reminded of that other, less-nice threat.

 

No deal by midnight, and he'd make a smiling Stepford out of me!

 

 

A chill ran down my spine every time it came up.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Mystic ran around like a kid hopped up on too much candy, chasing Mr. ‘Prince’, up and down the ballroom.

 

It didn’t take long before everyone was in on it, and everyone was winning Hugs.

 

 

 

Fed up, and feeling my insides slosh again, I backpedaled to the rest of the Outcasts.

 

 

 

 

"This saccharine wholesomeness is starting to get on my nerves”, groaned Saf the Statue.

 

 

"Same here”.

 

Nora’s face was slightly green-tinged.

 

 

"It's like a Silly Symphonies cartoon threw up on this place”.

 

 

"Sounds about right”, Envy agreed.

 

 

 

"You guys know who that prince is, yeah?"

 

 

 

 

"The Cursed God?"

 

 

 

 

They said it in perfect synch!

 

 

 

 

What the-!?

 

But I’d thought-

 

 

 

"I thought you wouldn't---"

 

 

 

Remember him-

 

 

 

 

A sweet voice began to sing some tune about a ship and lollypops while the ‘Princess’ it belonged to flounced and spun in front of several heart-eyed adults.

 

 

 

"Oh, she's so precious!"

 

 

Her cheek was pinched, and I winced in sympathy.

 

 

 

"Simply adorable!

 

 

 

The King’s chest was puffed out in pride.

 

 

"She certainly is Christmasville's Little Darling”.

 

 

 

"Nicholas, you and your wife raised her to be so well-behaved and ever so sweet”.

 

One lady looked amazed.

 

 

 

"Why, how on earth did you do it?"

 

 

 

They stood in front of everybody, and he effortlessly lifted the girl up onto his shoulders.

 

 

 

"Well, it's quite simple…

 

 

 

All your children need is a lot of love”.

 

 

 

She closed her eyes, smiled, moved her hands to one side of her cheeks, clasped them together, and then tilted her head.

 

 

 

“Awwwww….!!!!”

 

 

 

 

Accck-

 

 

The cuteness was starting to get to ME, too!!

 

 

 

That unwelcome warmth would NOT get out of my chest-

 

 

 

 

"Oh, I just want to take her home and put her on my shelf. She's just like a sweet little porcelain doll”.

 

 

 

 

"I think I'm gonna go into a sugar coma”, I groaned.

 

“-Anyway, we need to expose this Cursed God, or else he's gonna turn me into something of this universe, and I don't wanna be saccharine-sweet”.

 

 

 

Penelope shuddered.

 

“I agree”.

 

 

 

"Oh, do come here everyone!"

 

 

Alice waved, and for once, I was actually scared by how much it looked like something natural…

 

 

 

Like something she would do in real life.

 

 

 

"Come, and watch us play. Watch us play ever so merrily”.

 

 

 

 

"It's Silly Symphonies plus Dick and Jane”, Nora remarked in disgust.

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s when the hands came out of nowhere, and grabbed my friends.

 

 

One by one, they fell to cloths pushed over their mouths-

 

 

 

I was GONNA make a break for ‘Ermengarde’, but that slimy f*r practically shoved that thing inside my throat!

 

 

A sickly-fragrant scent, like liquid flowers.

 

 

 

 

I struggled to get the b*d off of me, but I couldn’t

 

 

 

Keep-!

 

 

 

 

 

Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only gets worse.


	46. Substance Abuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GORE WARNING, slightly, but still...

Okay.

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

This was unexpected…

 

 

 

 

I’d thought we were going to end up in a cold, dark dungeon.

 

 

 

Instead, we were all seated around a wide table in a warm, well-lit room.

 

 

Full of candy.

 

 

 

A lady with purple, sparkly wings fluttered around each of us, fiddling with something.

 

 

 

 

The most distorted version of the Sugarplum Fairy’s theme I'd ever heard warbled in the background, and I only had one thing to say:

 

 

 

"What the h*?”

 

 

 

 

-Only it came out garbled because some _tube_ was stuck up my mouth.

 

 

I tried to spit it out, move away, rip it free with my own, bare hands, but it was like my body wouldn’t respond to me all over again!

 

 

 

“~Ahahaha!”

 

 

 

 

That high-pitched giggling was hard on my ears.

 

 

 

 

 

But it woke everybody else up…

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh good”, she said merrily as we all stared at each other, wide-eyed.

 

 

"You're awake. I was hoping you would be. We certainly wouldn't want you choking on the substance”.

 

 

 

"Who the h* are you!?”

 

 

 

 

"I'm the Sugar Plum Fairy, of course. And soon you're all going to be citizens of the Candy Kingdom. I already have a substance set up for each of you”.

 

 

 

 

**Substance!!?**

 

 

 

 

Pulling out a pad of paper, and some ink stamps, she began to flutter from one captive to the other.

 

 

"For Envy, the newest mechanical Harlequin doll”.

 

 

 

She pressed ink onto the back of his hand.

 

A green gear.

 

 

 

"A Calvin special”.

 

 

 

 

At those words, I could see him start to shiver uncontrollably.

 

Tears were streaming down his face-

 

 

 

"For Penelope, the rat queen”.

 

A gray crown.

 

 

 

Her muffled screech of frightened rage was probably mixed-in with a few dozen curse words.

 

 

 

"For Nora, a cute little Polinchinelle”.

 

An orange mask.

 

 

 

Sweat dripped down her forehead…

 

 

 

"For Safiya, an Arabian tea dancer”.

 

A mauve teapot.

 

 

 

Of course...

 

 

 

 

Her fingers dug into the tablecloth, features coated in steel.

 

 

 

 

Even now, she refused to freak out-

 

 

 

 

"And for you Candy Pop, you're going to be the sweetest of them all.

 

 

You're going to be a giant jellybaby”.

 

 

 

 

**-WHAT!!?**

 

 

 

"That's not even a Nutcracker character!!” I spluttered.

 

 

 

"Oh, the master knows that well”.

 

 

Her smirk was eviler than mine!

 

 

 

A purple, wrapped confection-

 

 

 

 

"Children are going to _love_ you after this.

 

Chubby, sweet, and simple-minded”.

 

 

 

I wanted to **_SNAP_**  that fragile little neck at her condescending-!!

 

 

 

“Now don't any of you try to resist.

 

 

This sugary formula is powerful and addictive.

 

 

 

Once inside, it'll switch around your systems.

 

 

Your digestive system will become circled throughout your brain.

 

 

 

 

Basically, you'll be recycling your new sugar brains”.

 

 

 

 

_D*._

 

 

_…The Sugar Plum Fairy isn't someone to be f*d with._

 

 

 

 

Still wouldn’t stop me from trying-!!

 

 

 

 

With a switch of a lever, the color-coded ‘substances’ wormed their way down each, individual pipe.

 

 

 

 

"Merry Christmas”, she chuckled on her way out the door.

 

 

 

"It'll be one to remember.

 

 

 

 

_If_ your brains can remember it, that is…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, brains, why...


	47. The Crappiest Plan Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what it sounds like. Also, questionable accent WARNING.
> 
> AGAIN, don't know if it is, or not, but it COULD be, so...
> 
>  
> 
> PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TELL ME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, AND I WILL FIX ACCORDINGLY!!!

The sugar was getting closer, and I _still_ couldn’t move!

 

 

Despite myself, I was shaking hard enough to rattle the table.

 

 

 

I didn’t _want_ to turn into a _giant, dumb jelly baby!!_

 

 

 

H*, what the Cursed God was gonna do to me sounded a lot better than THIS-unless this is what he meant the whole time.

 

In which case, nevermind.

 

 

Forget I thought anything.

 

 

 

Penelope seemed to share my un-enthusiasm.

 

She was slobbering all over the pipe until it slid out of her mouth!

 

 

"You'll need to generate saliva-“, she said, standing up.

 

"Quickly now, we don't have much time!”

 

 

 

As she made a beeline for Saf the Statue, I genuinely tried to do just that.

 

…So, of course, my throat was as dry as the Sahara.

 

 

And that candy would be pouring past my lips at any minute-

 

 

 

She rolled her eyes at my stupendous failure, and yanked it loose just as the first drops were about to slide through the opening.

 

 

"You're welcome”.

 

 

 

***Expectant cough***

 

 

 

I re-paid her eyeroll.

 

 

 

"Were you REALLY going to let me get turned into a stupid jellybaby if I didn't thank you?" 

 

 

"I mean, there's still time…”

 

 

 

She reached for the tube.

 

 

 

S*.

 

 

 

"Thank you-!!” I said hurriedly.

 

 

 

With a self-satisfied smirk she let it hang, and patted me on the head like an obedient dog.

 

 

 

"Good boy”.

 

 

 

 

…I swear, if I wasn't in this f*g, weak-a* human body, you'd be SO dead, Penelope!!!!

 

 

 

“Now what?”

 

Nora was wiping frantically at her stamp.

 

 

 

"Now we need to undo the trances Ro, Mystic, and Alice were placed under”.

 

 

“That's literally impossible”.

 

 

 

Envy’s eyes were beginning to pick up a rim of green.

 

 

 

“Those three are surrounded by people at practically all times”.

 

 

 

The gears in Saf’s mind were clearly turning; she was rubbing out her own stamp like a methodical robot.

 

 

"There _still_ has to be a way we can get to them.

 

Maybe if we pretended we were some sort of entertainment act?

 

 

Maybe a magic act.

 

 

 

If we can get them to volunteer, we could undo the hypnosis and brainwashing right in front of their eyes”.

 

 

 

Everybody took a few moments to figure it out.

 

But it was Penelope who had the giant light-bulb shining in her brain, and steam pouring out her ears.

 

 

 

With a confident snap of her fingers-

 

 

 

"I think I know just how to do that”.

 

 

-

 

 

"This. Is. A. Stupid. F*g. Idea”.

 

 

She slipped on the brightly-colored fortune-telling outfit, and long, dark wig from some kit she’d managed to pull out of nowhere.

 

 

 

"And kinda racist all things considering..."

 

 

"Yes, I understand it could definitely be seen as racist, and I'm not a fan of it either, due to that factor”.

 

 

She carefully positioned her new nose ring.

 

 

"But Safiya doesn't have the skill level of hypnotism I do and desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides they pulled this off at Caligari Carnival”.

 

 

"Yeah, but that ended up getting burnt down and people were eaten by lions”.

 

 

 

 

If looks could kill, Alice’s friend would have died instantly.

 

 

 

 

"Listen, when I want your input, I'll tell you!”

 

 

 

-Smeared on the last bit of make-up.

 

 

 

"How do I look?"

 

 

 

"It's.....it's a look”.

 

 

Saf the Statue was being diplomatic, but…

 

 

 

"I do apologize to anyone I may offend with this”, Penelope hissed as we silently crept up the stairs.

 

 

-

 

 

Sneaking a quick peek around the corner, we could _just_ make out MatPat introducing the presents.

 

My eye caught the time-

 

 

Fifteen minutes to midnight.

 

We had to act fast-!

 

 

 

"Uhnt dis is a harlequin jester doll I bought in Bafaria. Sold for vun huntert tventy at a shoppe”.

 

 

"Oh, it's so lovely!"

 

 

 

Ro looked positively star-struck.

 

 

 

"Guys, look!"

 

Nora’s loud whisper had us all scrambling to find whatever it was she’d seen-

 

 

"Look on Matt's jacket!!”

 

 

 

A golden medal.

 

 

 

"No, it can’t be!” Penelope gasped.

 

 

"What? What is it!?”

 

 

 

"That has to be one of the tokens!"

 

 

 

Herding us all back behind the wall, she immediately turned to…

 

 

 

"Safiya, how well can you play seductive?"

 

 

 

She **gaped**.

 

 

 

 

"Uh.....I......don't think.....I..."

 

 

 

Broke out into a nervous laugh.

 

 

 

 

"Where exactly are you going with this!?”

 

 

 

"If you can distract Matpat while I'm doing my act, you can get the token, we can escape, and no one has to die”.

 

 

 

"But why Safiya?"

 

 

Whirling on me, she snapped:

 

“Oh, I apologize, did YOU want to volunteer to seduce him?"

 

 

 

"Pfft. You wouldn't be able to make that happen!" I declared-

 

 

 

She lifted out a jar of glittery powder.

 

 

 

 

“…What the h* is that?"

 

 

"Disguising Dust”.

 

 

An evil **grin…**

 

 

 

“One sprinkle of this, and I can turn you into a lady that would even, what's the phrase you plebeians use?, 'snatch Nikita's wig’”.

 

 

 

“Uhhhh…”

 

 

 

Wait.

 

 

Waitwaitwait-!!

 

 

 

"I vote we go with Saf--"

 

 

 

A tiny storm of sand kicked up in my face…

 

 

 

_Irresistibly seductive young woman with a dialect..._

 

 

 

 

Parts of me seemed to…grow…

 

 

 

 

"Oops…”

 

Penelope giggled.

 

 

 

"My hand slipped”.

 

 

 

She held up a mirror, and my jaw about fell off my face!

 

 

 

**D*** , this woman was sexy-Ho _ld_ _on, that was **ME!??**_

 

 

 

"Why did you transform me?"

 

 

My hand went to my mouth.

 

 

 

I sounded like Jessica Rabbit only a thousand times the sultriness!!

 

 

"What is this voice?"

 

 

 

"It's yours.

 

-And it's because Safiya's not such a.......n unpleasant person to me”.

 

 

 

 

-!!!

 

Are you ** _f*ing_** serious!!?

 

 

 

"Now, you stay here and wait until I have the girls distracted. You head up to Matpat and seduce him”.

 

 

 

**SEDUCE** him!!?

 

 

I barely refrained from spluttering aloud!!

 

 

 

 

“Once he's distracted, grab the token, and then we'll run out of here.

 

And be quick about it”.

 

 

 

I shuddered at that, but…

 

 

For the greater Good!

 

 

 

I would do it.

 

-

 

 

"Well then, I suppose those are the last of the presents…”, the King droned.

 

 

“And now, I have a surprise for my youngest, Lottie”.

 

 

 

"For _me!?_ ”

 

 

 

"Yes, and from someone else very special”.

 

 

 

 

On cue, his royal Fakeness bent down on one knee, a ring box in his hands-

 

 

"So sorry”.

 

 

Penelope strutted into the midst of the crowd in all her gaudy finery, rocking the stupidest accent ever to grace this earth.

 

 

 

"So sorry I arrive so late please”.

 

 

 

"Vat?"

 

 

MatPat looked like his head was about to explode!

 

 

 

"Is _who_ please…

 

And I am great magician Madame Dissim Mulate, please!”

 

 

"We don't remember inviting you”, the Queen said dangerously, red eyes flaring with anger.

 

 

"I come unannounced”, she retorted.

 

 

"Now for first trick, I need three princess please!"

 

 

 

Pretending to look for volunteers, she didn’t stop until Mystic, Alice, and Ro all put their hands up in perfect harmony.

 

 

 

"Yes, you three please”.

 

 

 

The latter two skipped up to bat, but Mystic was held back.

 

 

"But...my gift!”

 

 

"Fear not, my sweet prince”, she reassured him.

 

"It won't be but a few moments”.

 

 

She pecked him on the forehead, and I tried not to gag.

 

 

 

Slowly leaving him, Penelope…got on with it.

 

 

"Yes, very good please.

 

You three ready for trick?"

 

 

"Oh yes please!"

 

 

 

A perfect chorus in unison.

 

 

 

Pulling out a watch from the folds of her robe, she intoned:

 

 

"This......is maaaaaagic watch.

 

For first trick, I show you watch's power please…”

 

 

 

She started to swing it back-and-forth…

 

 

 

 

 

"Just keep eyes on watch. Follow watch with eyes please…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what's next? ;)


	48. Seductive Seductions And All That Stuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do not read in public, you will laugh.
> 
> Also, WARNING, is very INNUENDO.

This was it.

 

Everybody else was distracted by the ‘Magician Extraordinaire’…

 

 

 

I was **dreading** going out there!

 

 

 

All-powerful Demon me, able to rival GOD in strength-

 

First stuck as some nineteen-year-old kid,

 

 

  
Now reduced to whoever the f* _this_ was!!

 

 

 

 

Some Mata Hari from the wrong time!?

 

 

 

 

Every other Demon, Pasta, whomever would mock the **h*** out of me.

 

Especially if it was **THEM**.

 

 

 

But…

 

Mm.

 

 

 

Have to get it over with SOMEHOW-

 

 

...

 

 

 

Hmph.

 

 

-

 

 

...I swaggered out there, hips swaying with every step.

 

Practically every guy in the back was drooling over me…as were most of the women.

 

 

 

_I wonder what Sigmund Freud would have to say about this._

 

 

 

I could barely keep myself from corpsing in public.

 

 

 

 

Whistling as softly, and seductively as I could, it took like, **for** ever for me to catch Mr. MatPat’s eye.

 

Beckoning for him to follow me, I was pleased to see that he was…albeit out of curiosity, but what the hey?

 

 

 

I wasn’t gonna complain!

 

 

 

 

This was about as ‘rock-bottom’ as you could get!!

 

 

 

 

"Vat are you?"

 

 

 

"Oh…Why hello there, sugar. I was just in the neighborhood when I happened to catch a glance”.

 

 

Vocal fry mixed with breathy elegance.

 

 

 

That ought to do it!

 

 

 

"How did you get into a place like dis?” he said, eyebrow raised.

 

"I'm not so sure you belong here, du Schlampe”.

 

 

 

"Ooh”, I moaned, gripping his collar, running my hand up his body…

 

 

"I just  **LOOOOOOVVE** it when you talk like that. It's so.......appealing”.

 

 

 

"Vat do you know apout appealing tings, du dreckige Sau?"

 

 

 

 

…New German swear words.

 

 

Wunderbar.

 

 

 

 

"Oh, don't hurt my feelings, daddy”, I pouted.

 

 

Bat the ‘ol eyelashes…

 

 

 

 

"I just think the German language and the German accent are  **SOOOOO** sexy, especially coming from an actual German man”.

 

 

 

I was pullin' out ALL the stops!

 

 

 

 

He shook his head in disgust.

 

 

 

 

"I don't haf time for dis!”

 

 

 

 

Wai-NO!!

 

I reached out, and snatched his collar again!

 

 

 

Shot a quick glance at Penelope’s little ‘act’…

 

 

 

 

STILL not done yet!!?

 

 

C’mon, hurry it up already!!!

 

 

 

 

"Oh, don't be so fuddy-duddy, daddy”.

 

 

With one, smooth movement, I had him pinned up against the wall.

 

 

 

"Let's have some Christmas fun. I'm on the naughty list for sure.

 

Can you make me a good girl?"

 

 

 

"Vat are you doing!?” he squawked in horror.

 

 

 

“Tink apout die Kinder. Der innocent minds!"

 

 

 

"But all kinder hafta grow up sooner or later, daddy”.

 

 

 

"Nein. Nicht in dis vorlt”.

 

 

 

He shook his head more vehemently, this time.

 

 

 

"We'll see about that”.

 

 

 

 

 

_Don't let any of my fellow demons find out about this-_

 

 

 

 

Eyes on the prize, I hauled him in for a long, sensual kiss.

 

 

While he was busy trying to keep his brain from popping out of his head, I stealthily unclipped the medallion, and stuck it into my pocket.

 

 

 

Letting him go, he stumbled away from me.

 

 

Looking absolutely, beautifully stunned.

 

 

 

 

"Auf Wiedersehen, you son of a b*”.

 

 

 

 

And I strutted off to my post by the front door, hastily wiping my lips on the back of my hand.

 

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

So far so good…

 

They’d bought it.

 

 

All of it.

 

 

 

And soon…

 

 

They would be free-

 

 

 

 

"Now you three, sleep”.

 

 

 

**SNAP-**

 

 

 

 

In the span of a heartbeat, all three flopped to the ground in a dead faint.

 

 

Safiya went for Ro, while I lifted Alice up into my arms.

 

 

 

Penelope picked up Mystic, and…Candy Pop….was it?

 

 

 

 

He waved his Token in the air at us looking like a lipstick-smeared Snow White-meets-Jessica Rabbit.

 

 

 

 

"That is all time Madame Mulate has please”, the Hypnotist said quickly.

 

"Goodbye and good night”.

 

 

 

We made a run for the door, but it was stuck fast!

 

 

 

Nora and Safiya pried at the edges while Candy Pop outright kicked it with his newfound stilettos!

 

 

The False Fortuneteller whispered something into Mystic’s ear, then hurried to Ro, and finally Alice:

 

 

“Everything I say is the absolute truth when you're in this state. When I count to five and snap my fingers, you will wake back up as you were before you were mentally manipulated by Calvin”.

 

 

 

 

Oh thank _Heavens…_

 

 

 

 

Soon, everyone would be fine-

 

 

 

 

 

_Ding…_

 

_**Dong…** _

 

 

 

 

The clock struck 12 before she could count to five for anyone.

 

 

The lights went dark…

 

 

 

"It's too late, Candy Pop…", a certain someone boomed.

 

 

"Time for you to pay up”.

 

 

 

A cloud of black magic swallowed up the guests, and they slumped to the ballroom floor, unmoving.

 

The Prince who had tried to win Mystic’s heart now stood, his malice truly here for us to see.

 

 

 

 

 

...But what was this about paying up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh...crap.


	49. Tear Me Down Slowly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's happening again.

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

Midnight…

 

 

My heart jumped at every chime of the clock, helped along by the Cursed God’s slow.

 

Purposeful.

 

 

Claps.

 

 

 

"Well, bravo…Not only did you and your friends escape my trap, but you actually managed to steal away my sweet little rose right before my very eyes. Or at least, you almost did”.

 

 

**SNAP**

 

 

 

I felt my body flash back to its normal self as I hit the ground with a THUD…a blonde, short-haired Alice.

 

 

 

"What the-?”

 

 

 

YES I was no longer British-

 

 

 

And from the looks of things, neither was anyone else!

 

 

 

 

"Now I believe you have nearly stolen two of my treasures”.

 

 

Two?

 

 

 

**SNAP**

 

 

 

 

No-

 

 

The Token soared out of my grasp, and back smack into his palm.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Penelope had started reciting that little charm:

 

 

"One, two, three, four, five, awake!"

 

 

 

_SNAP_

 

 

 

 

Just like that, the three faded back to themselves.

 

Minus the dresses, anyway…

 

 

 

“Mmm…”

 

“Hm…”

 

“Huh!?”

 

 

As one, they all sat up.

 

 

 

"What the?" Mystic groaned.

 

"Where am I!!?”

 

 

 

"And the second treasure”.

 

 

 

I should’ve known.

 

 

 

The creep used his powers to magically float the girl over to him!

 

 

His arms folded around her in a hug, and she strained to get free-

 

 

 

 

"Why do you struggle so, my little rose?

 

Is this not what you wanted?"

 

 

 

"I don't even know what the h* is going on!" she snapped.

 

"I just wanna get the f* out”.

 

 

 

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, and he turned on us, demonic eyes sparking with rage.

 

 

 

"So, you managed to corrupt her again, did you?”

 

 

 

"Not to worry, my lord”, Miss Queen soothed.

 

"I'll take her from here. I'll make sure they won't damage her delicate little mind ever again-“

 

 

“Hey! I resent that, you b*!”

 

 

 

"And as for me…” the King dropped the accent entirely, and everyone else seemed to finally recognize him for who he really was-

 

 

The **Carnival Master…**

 

 

 

Safiya and Nora stumbled across the room as if they’d been pulled on strings!

 

 

Right up until they were nicely tucked at his sides.

 

 

 

But then he thought for a moment.

 

 

 

 

Shrugged.

 

 

 

 

"Actually, I change my mind”.

 

 

 

 

 

Nora was flung onto the ground violently, the knock of her chin hitting the tile echoing through the air.

 

 

"What was that for?"

 

 

 

"I find a woman in black more appealing”, he insulted.

 

"And Morticia fits the bill”.

 

 

 

While she tried to figure out what he’d meant by that backhanded statement, Ro and Alice seemed to come out of whatever fog they’d been in for the past five minutes.

 

 

 

"What the heck is going on?"

 

 

 

“-Oh, I almost forgot a third!”

 

 

 

Yelping in shock, Ro, too was propelled halfway across the room.

 

She skidded to a stop by Mystic and the girl threw herself into the Sweetheart’s arms, crying hard.

 

 

 

Saf struggled to get out of the Carnival Guy’s grip herself-

 

 

I didn’t know WHAT he was whispering into her ear, but she stayed as stoic as ever, regardless.

 

 

 

"Hey, what's this about Candy Pop having to 'pay up'?"

 

 

Envy, **WHY-**

 

 

 

All the color drained from my face as my blood ran COLD.

 

 

_Whoever’s listening, **please** don’t let anyone speak-_

 

 

 

 

I was THIS close to praying-!!

 

 

 

 

But the Cursed God just started to laugh…

 

 

 

 

"Oh, right”.

 

 

 

**That.**

 

 

 

 

N-now it was MY turn to get dragged-!!?

 

 

My heels dug into the floor, and left nice, little black marks behind.

 

 

 

I still ended up only inches away from him.

 

 

 

 

And then that _stupid_ spotlight shone-

 

 

Right on top of my head!

 

 

 

"See, while you were all busy focusing on curing my sweet little bride and her friends, I struck up a deal with ol' CP here to get him out of that shell of a body.

 

 

And all he had to do in exchange was surrender himself to me completely”.

 

 

 

 

Everybody looked shocked.

 

 

 

“…Well…He obviously said no.......right, Candy Pop?"

 

 

Oh, Alice…

 

 

 

 

I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat.

 

 

 

I failed miserably.

 

 

 

 

I hadn’t said yes…but I hadn’t said ‘no’, either…

 

 

 

 

"Weeeeell…”

 

 

He made it long on purpose.

 

 

  
To keep everyone in suspense-

 

 

 

 

 

I'll give his loyalty credit. He didn't say _yes_ , but he didn't say **no**.

 

 

 

 

"So you _were_ considering it!” Nora accused.

 

 

"It's not what it sounds like---!"

 

 

"I knew it”.

 

 

 

Oh d*, not YOU-

 

 

 

I turned…It was most-definitely Mystic who was burning a hole into the back of my skull with her stony glare.

 

 

 

 

"I **knew** you couldn't be trusted”.

 

 

"Mystic, I didn't---!"

 

 

 

 

**Shut your d* mouth, traitor!**

 

 

 

There were tears in her eyes.

 

 

 

 

"You were planning on turncoating us, I knew it!”

 

 

 

_You never cared about any of us._

 

 

_All you wanted was your old body back._

 

 

_Well, I'm **not** giving it back._

 

 

 

 

**You can _rot_ in the one you're stuck in now, for all I care.**

 

 

 

It...was just like all of those other times…

 

 

 

 

 

I felt my resolve weakening.

 

 

 

 

“G-Guys, come on!"

 

Certain people were avoiding my gaze.

 

 

 

"I didn't want to, but I----Envy! Penn! Nora! _C'mon_ , guys!"

 

 

 

They **still** didn’t look.

 

 

 

 

"Alice, c'mon, bud! You understand, right?"

 

 

 

She looked up…and then back at the ground, her hand furiously rubbing her neck.

 

 

 

 

S*…if I lost _her_ faith…

 

 

 

 

I turned to Ro…

 

 

She was still comforting Mystic.

 

 

 

No anger here, but…

 

 

 

 

 

Disappointment.

 

 

 

 

"Ro, please, I'm sorry…”

 

 

My voice embarrassingly cracked.

 

Tears started to fill my own eyes…

 

 

 

I never meant to hurt anyone.

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry"

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was all I was gonna get!?

 

 

I couldn’t even HEAR that!!

 

 

 

She went back to Mystic, and I legit **gave up**.

 

 

 

 

 

Furiously wiping the droplets away, I di _dn’t want it to end like this g*d*n it!!_

 

But if she wasn’t going to stick by me like she had before-

 

 

 

Then I was **done**.

 

 

 

 

I slowly lowered my hands as the truth of it cracked me right in the chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no more hope to be had-

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I think I can get where you're coming from”.

 

 

…What?

 

 

 

I looked up in surprise…our eyes met.

 

 

Mine and Saf’s.

 

 

 

Anger, disappointment, and…understanding?

 

-Out of everybody here, it was _her_ who was trying to understand me.

 

 

 

"It was in the heat of the moment. You've been in that body for weeks now. Of course that'd tempt you”.

 

 

"You-you're not mad at me?"

 

 

 

"No, I am pretty p*d off”, she admitted.

 

 

"But that doesn't mean you're gonna turn on us”.

 

 

 

 

"Of course he's going to turn on you”, the Cursed God scoffed.

 

"He's a demon. What makes you think you can trust him?"

 

 

 

“-He's certainly done more for us than **you** have”.

 

 

 

As he choked on her wicked retort, she appealed to the rest…

 

 

 

"We can't turn on CP now, everyone. That's what these people want. They _want_ us to be divided”.

 

 

 

"Is my bride falling victim to delusions?"

 

 

The Carnival Master tried to stroke her hair and she hissed at him.

 

 

 

 

"Stroke me, and it'll be the last thing you ever do”.

 

 

 

 

He blinked.

 

She used that split second of ‘What-did-she-just-say!?’ to break free, and come join the others.

 

 

"Think about what Candy Pop's done for us. Without him, we wouldn't have even had the token in the first place”.

 

 

 

"He **did** also kill Arya and Celeste”.

 

Lilith pointed that out-

 

 

 

"Cuz he'd gone insane”, she countered.

 

“-I know that's not an excuse, but are you really going to trust that d*bag of a Cursed God when he's been the one causing the most disarray, even moreso than Candy Pop?"

 

 

"There's no use trying, Morticia”.

 

 

The Cursed God seemed pretty sure of himself.

 

 

 

 

No one's going to agree with you-

 

 

 

 

_"That's where you're wrong!"_

 

 

 

 

It was HER-!!

 

 

 

"Saf's right. Candy Pop may be chaotic, but he's sure as heck has done more for us than you have, you big meanie!"

 

 

 

Ro…

 

 

 

 

Grabbing Mystic’s hand, she raced over to complete the motley crew.

 

 

-Well, almost.

 

 

 

 

"But he was gonna betray us!"

 

 

"He never said that he was going to”, she clarified.

 

 

 

"I believe he can be good, and I believe he IS good. Until he proves us wrong, I'm willing to trust him”.

 

 

 

 

Her once-Prince huffed like a five-year-old.

 

 

 

 

"Well then, two of you are delusional. So what? The rest of them---"

 

 

 

 

"Fine”, Nora sighed.

 

 

"I suppose he never actually said that he was gonna do it. Sc* it. I'm back with you”.

 

 

 

"Three delusional. Poor things”.

 

 

Lilith clucked her tongue.

 

 

 

"Perhaps an angel bath would do them good”.

 

 

 

"I mean”, Penelope began, “You DID involuntarily seduce Matthew. I guess putting you through that h* is a fair trade for the thought.

 

-But I'm keeping a close eye on you for a while”.

 

 

 

_Fair enough._

 

 

Thank **_God_** no one thinks I’m going to sell them out anymore!

 

-And now…

 

 

 

 

I don’t think I ever will.

 

 

 

 

“…You promise you won't turn on us?"

 

 

Alice said it in that usual wide-eyed way of hers…

 

 

 

"I swear to whatever good deity exists…And on my metaphorical mother's grave”.

 

 

 

 

She sighed the heaviest one I’d ever heard.

 

 

 

 

"Fine. I mean, you have my body anyways, so it's not as though I really have a choice in the matter…”

 

 

 

 

"Goodness”, the ‘Queen’ re-iterated.

 

"I didn't think so many people in this group would be under such delusions. Poor things”.

 

 

 

Envy rubbed his arm.

 

"I don't want to believe that you'll turn on us…”

 

 

He sighed, too.

 

 

 

Like Writing Mom, like Son…

 

 

 

"I mean, we've been friends for as long as I can remember. You may be a demon, but I don't believe you're THAT evil”.

 

 

 

 

(Alice started at that, and I just KNEW we were going to get a thousand questions later about this, along with Penn-Penn and I’s Russian escapade).

 

 

 

 

At any rate, I was relieved…except there was just one left.

 

 

 

 

"Mystic…”

 

 

Don’t blow it.

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry.

 

 

 

 

She stared at me in disbelief for a good while.

 

 

Then:

 

 

 

“…I mean, I guess I'm outnumbered.

 

 

-But I've got my eye on you. You've got to really prove yourself before I'm gonna be able to trust you again. I don't like to be deceived”.

 

 

 

I smiled, a _real_ one for a change.

 

 

 

 

That's fair. 

 

 

 

 

“Anyway”, Safiya continued.

 

"I believe that that token is ours”.

 

 

 

In response, he just sneered.

 

 

 

"Do you really think I'm going to just hand over something so valuable and powerful to you? This isn't the freebie. Someone's going to die! And besides, even with this token, you're not even halfway there”.

 

 

 

"No, but we're close”.

 

 

Penelope sniffed.

 

 

 

"So just set up the death match and we'll take our 3rd out of 7”.

 

 

 

He went from a delicate chuckle…to a full, knock-down drag-out belly-laugh!

 

 

 

Around us, the castle morphed and shifted into a lounge…

 

 

 

 

"Seven? SEVEN?!?

 

 

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!**

 

 

 

You really believe in the myth of only **SEVEN** tokens!?”

 

 

 

"It's not a myth; it's fact” I helpfully corrected.

 

 

 

"Oh, how naive”.

 

 

 

In a glittering shower, the rest of the Players in this Sick game appeared draped over the newfangled furniture.

 

 

 

 

"While you vote on the teams going into this challenge, I'll let you fester on this little factoid:

 

 

There's an eighth token of Everlock.

 

 

 

 

And it's already with you”.

 

 

 

 

 

The three of them disappeared into nothing, leaving only a solitary note behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Envy, how do you two know each other-
> 
> Am I the only one of you all who's JUST met this guy as of last Summer 'till now!?


	50. The Deadly Side Of Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newest challenge is upon them, and absolutely NO ONE is ready.

Wait. 

 

 

“We've had one this whole time? _Where!?_ ”

 

 

An eighth Token?

 

_Right under our noses…_

 

 

 

"And more importantly, WHAT is it?"

 

 

Mystic’s eyes widened as if she had just thought of something.

 

 

"What if it's a who?"

 

 

“A who?” Ines echoed.

 

 

 

"What if it's not someTHING that's the final token, but rather someONE?"

 

 

 

"As in, a person as a token”, an unknown voice chimed in.

 

 

 

We all turned to see a new player in all this craziness:

 

Think ‘Celeste Ludenberg’, with silver hair.

 

 

 

"Who are you?"

 

 

"You really don't recognize me?”

 

 

They seemed put-out that her own creator wouldn’t-

 

 

 

“ **Rene**?

 

 

How the h* did you get out---!?"

 

 

"I don't know, but I brought along others."

 

 

Behind her, even more Writers were fanned out.

 

 

"There are WAY too many characters in this”, Stella lampshaded.

 

"DON'T ASK, DOOPER”.

 

 

“…Who are they?"

 

 

Mystic took charge of the conversation again, and:

 

 

 

"Jaiden, Marly, Roslyn, Delta, Darby, Lacey, Bailey, Sasha, Sunny, Wynter, Hecuba, Lenox, and Ambrosi”.

 

 

"Great”, she huffed.

 

 

"Fourteen more of us who might get killed”.

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

"Look, we don't even know what we're doing here”, Darby said.

 

"Most of us have only written like one or two stories involving this fandom. How the h* we got dragged into these shenanigans is beyond me”.

 

 

What he was saying…sounded oddly familiar.

 

Maybe it was because both Candy Pop and I had also gotten suddenly dragged into this mess…

 

 

"Who even _says_ shenanigans?" Ambrosi scoffed.

 

"That's so old-fashioned”.

 

 

"Well, I don't know about any of you”, the one called Jaiden cut in, “But I don't plan on dying any time soon”.

 

 

“Plans can change”, Lacey pointed out.

 

 

"That sounded vaguely threatening”.

 

Wynter shivered, even though the temperature in here was fairly warm.

 

 

 

“-Anyway”, Rene went on, “Don't you think it's quite possible that the token is a who and not a what?"

 

 

 

While they began to puzzle this out amongst themselves, a woman in a felt hat whom I had yet to properly meet picked up the note:

 

 

" _To receive your third token, you must undertake a **Nutcracker** relay._

 

 

_Two groups of twenty must be selected._

 

 

 

_First the leaders will be drawn, and then those leaders will each pick nineteen other cards and organize them randomly into various relay events._

 

 

 

_Once all nineteen have been selected and assigned, you will flip them over and reveal who is doing which event"._

 

 

 

"Twenty? **Each!?”**

 

Nora sounded just as incredulous as I felt.

 

 

"That's probably the most amount of people who've ever had to compete!”

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

"I'm guessing it'll be like the Big Top Challenge from season 3, just with more people”.

 

-As I tried in vain to remember which one Ines was talking about, I heard Roslyn gulp.

 

 

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

 

 

Everyone stared at each other, and I awkwardly rubbed my neck.

 

 

"Let's not consider it. If we think about that, it's only gonna slow us down. We need that token, so let's get voting”.

 

 

 

At Mystic’s words, Sasha smiled bitterly.

 

 

"That's the spirit.

 

Sending us all to our deaths with determination..."

 

 

 

 

"Calliope, you have the cards?"

 

With an accompanying nod, she announced:

 

 

"I decided to make this easier on everyone.

 

I've placed one of each card into the deck. I shall now shuffle and draw two and then those two must each draw nineteen”.

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

Pretty sure it wasn’t just me whose heart was racing a mile a minute.

 

 

I couldn’t help but feel like I was going to get drawn this time, for sure.

 

 

 

After all, I’d _already_ been tempted by Mr. Cursed God once with these guys, and with everybody else I was still Public Enemy No. 1!!

 

 

 

-I couldn’t afford to die…

 

 

 

I caught Mystic looking at me weird.

 

 

 

 

What!?

 

 

 

The Muse flipped the first card over before flashing it fancily in front of the rest of us:

 

 

"Mystic”.

 

 

 

Then she did the same thing for Card No. 2:

 

 

"Stella”.

 

 

“Eep!”

 

 

The writer in question started shaking like a leaf.

 

 

"Um, Mystic, dear”, I heard Penelope none-too-subtly pipe up, “Could I speak to you in private---?"

 

 

" **Not on your g*d*n life** ”.

 

 

 

 

"Now you two must each draw nineteen…”

 

 

Calliope gestured to a space cordoned off by tape.

 

 

"And place them face-down for each event.

 

Then you must flip them over.

 

 

After both sets are flipped over, you will each have a minute to make any necessary adjustments to your team”.

 

 

Mystic went to do hers, and then Stella went up.

 

 

 

Ohhh, this was gonna be **GREAT-**

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

Both writers worked in silence for a while, and then:

 

 

"Now you may flip them over and make any necessary adjustments. You have sixty seconds once all cards are flipped over”.

 

 

She turned over an hourglass, and after that…

 

 

 

We were left to wait.

 

 

 

Or, in my case, I was left to wonder how in the **h*** someone had managed to make a card for me so quickly when I…hadn’t quite been around until now.

 

 

Or perhaps I was wrong-

 

 

 

"Time's up.

 

Now when they call your name, you just need to step forward. Mystic, who did you pick for the relay?"

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

I could barely sit still-!

 

 

Nervous energy ran up and down my limbs like liquid nitrogen.

 

What was I going to have to do?

 

 

And would I even be able to do it to begin with…!?

 

 

 

-The anticipation was gonna drive me insane!!

 

 

 

“-So for the tree decorating, I picked Lauren Riihimaki, Andrea R., Andrea B., and Gabbie Hanna”.

 

 

As the four women stepped forward, I heard the latter crack: ‘This is a huge mistake…’

 

 

"For the Rat King Battle.

 

I decided on Oli White, Candy Pop, Penelope, and Envy”.

 

 

 

Both of them looked as if they’d gotten hit with a spotlight.

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

You’ve gotta be kidding me!!

 

 

 

-Envy jumped like he’d stepped on a live wire, and I mouthed:

 

 

_You're making a huge f*g mistake!_

 

 

 

She wanted me to fight WHAT!?

 

 

Like THIS!!?

 

 

 

 

"For the Sweets Eating, I'm so sorry Liza, but you were the only one who'd fit”.

 

 

 

She promptly gagged, and my heart gave a little squeeze in sympathy.

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

Uh…I…

 

 

…

 

 

 

Make no mistake, I _would_ do it, but…

 

 

 

Did I really have to stand up here in front of everyone!?

 

 

 

Trying not to shift _too_ uncomfortably, I attempted to tune in to who was being selected next-

 

 

 

"For the Figure Skate Dance, I went with Shiloh and Harlow”.

 

 

"Um,

 

Are you sure I'm the best fit? I'm clumsy as h*”.

 

 

 

They nearly tripped on the way over as if to prove it.

 

 

 

...Which got me thinking.

 

 

 

"For the Flower Dance, I chose Montana, Colleen Ballinger, Nora, and Ines”.

 

 

The last writer in line very visibly sweat-dropped.

 

 

 

"Mystic, you're making a huge mistake”.

 

 

 

"And for the sled race/scavenger hunt, I went with Safiya Nygaard, Rosanna Pansino, Matthew Patrick, and Alice”.

 

 

 

The poor girl’s anxiety immediately went through the roof.

 

 

 

I could tell.

 

 

 

 

"And that's it”.

 

 

But was it?

 

 

 

Seemed to me like-

 

...

 

 

I hope I'm wrong.

 

 

 

I must be.

 

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

My palms were  **sweating,** I was so nervous-

 

 

"Stella?"

 

 

I wiped them down the front of my clothes, mouth going dryer and dryer by the minute!!!!

 

 

“Um-!!”

 

 

She swallowed **hard**.

 

 

 

“Tana Mongeau, Manny MUA, Justine Ezarik, and…Nikita Dragun…for Tree Decorating…

 

 

For the Rat King Battle, it’ll be…Jesse Wellens, Destorm Power, Timothy DeLaGhetto, and Shane Dawson.

 

 

Sweets Eating is Tyler-I’m so sorry!!!”

 

 

The Guest in question had gone a rather ominous shade of green.

 

 

 

“The Figure Skate Dance is Roi Fabito and Teala Dunn”.

 

 

 

…I should’ve realized that ship would end up in here somehow.

 

 

 

“The Flower Dance will be Hyacinthe, Sierra Furtado, Lele Pons, and Elsie…and, um, for the Sled Race/Scavenger Hunt, it’s JC Caylen, Eva Gutowski, Kasey, and Matt Haag”.

 

 

 

"Alison, if you would do the honors?”

 

 

"Oh, she's still here?"

 

 

The surprised murmur wound its way through the now-very-sizable crowd.

 

 

 

Conjuring up a ball of magic, she flung it at the wall, and a portal opened.

 

 

 

"The rest of you can stay…” was the last thing I heard before I slipped through along with the rest of my team-

 

 

 

Oh **no.**

 

 

I was **not** ready for this **nope**.

 

 

 

I may have been observant, but I _wasn’t that observant!_

 

 

 

 

Would we really be okay…?!

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

This new theater area dwarfed the last one by at _least_ a thousand feet!

 

 

On the stage dangled twelve bells-and a new note.

 

 

Sunny got ahold of it first, and read:

 

 

_"Your teams are now assembled and assigned. For this challenge, you must complete a sequence of tasks associated with **The Nutcracker** before the other team._

 

_On the signal, ring your respective bells and you will be transported to your location._

 

_When the task prior to yours has been completed, a bell will sound and a light will flash on, signaling that you are allowed to begin your task._

 

_Once you are finished, you must press the button at the end of the room to send the signal to those at the next task._

 

 

_The first to complete their tasks, put together their nutcracker doll, and present it to the Cursed God will be allowed to continue on”._

 

 

-She went quiet, eyes widening.

 

 

“Sunny…Sunny, what is it?”

 

 

…Hyacinthe, I think her name was?

 

 

 

S. handed it off to her in answer, and it was _her_ turn to go sheet-white.

 

 

 

"What? What's all this about? Give me the note”.

 

 

The Dragon Lady, A.K.A., Nikita, snatched it up like a magpie.

 

 

_“-However, once that team's nutcracker is presented to the Cursed God, everyone on the losing team will be killed off within their respective rooms, including the team leader”._

 

 

 

 

WHAT.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even right now. I JUST got over a cold!! I'm not ready to lose my darlings!!!! ><


	51. Fallout Before It Even Starts!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This...how do we navigate THIS!!??

-Envy-

 

 

When I heard THAT, I immediately went into Panic Mode.

 

The entire other team-

 

 

**Murdered!?**

 

 

The line-up for us, for _our_  side-

 

It flashed through my mind.

 

 

"Give me the note”.

 

 

Mystic snatched it from Nikita and seemed to re-read it several times.

 

 

"This.....this is impossible!”

 

 

She shook her head vigorously in denial-

 

"Surely even **he** couldn't possibly be that brutal!"

 

 

Manny MUA sighed in resignation.

 

"It's what we've got”.

 

 

"Why are you just giving up?"

 

 

"I'm not”.

 

 

"Mystic, darling---" Penelope started-

 

 

"Don't say a **word**! I'm out”.

 

 

"You can't leave!"

 

 

Alison didn’t falter at the laser-eyes.

 

 

 

"Watch me”.

 

 

 

-Mystic appeared to deeply concentrate for a few seconds, only to suddenly, and non-fatally collapse to the ground.

 

 

_Get out of my head! Leave my br_ ain alone”

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

 

The M.O. was unmistakably his.

 

The Cursed God’s-

 

 

"Who is she talking to?" Tyler looked confused.

 

 

"Mystic, what's going on?"

 

So did Tana.

 

 

"Hey, Stella”, Teala picked right spankin’ now to ask, “Just out of curiosity, why did you pair Roi and me up for the skating challenge?"

 

 

“Oh…!”

 

Stella turned an interesting shade of pink.

 

 

"Uh....I just.....think....you two have.....uh.....good....chemistry..."

 

 

Uh-huh.

 

Sure…

 

 

"There's no need to be shy about it”.

 

Shiloh (apparently) read my mind.

 

 

"Everyone knows about---"

 

 

 

_"Let's just get this over with!!”_

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Mystic had gotten helped up by this time and was hesitantly about to ring the bell.

 

At the unspoken signal, we too, got into our respective groups-

 

 

“Candy Pop”.

 

 

Envy grabbed my shoulders, concern showing through his calm facade.

 

 

“I don’t know what help I’m going to be during this, all my power is pretty much gone-“

 

 

“Mine is, definitely”.

 

 

However.

 

 

“But yours?

 

You need to have more faith in yourself”.

 

 

“What-“

 

 

I grabbed _his_ shoulders.

 

 

“What you’ve got-

 

That comes from within, you understand me?

 

 

**Nobody** can take that away”.

 

 

I smiled.

 

 

“No matter how much h* they pile on top of you”.

 

 

“…You sure?”

 

 

“Absolutely”.

 

 

At his still-doubtful expression, I nodded to Alice.

 

 

“And if it really _is_ gone, then just use your insane height advantage”.

 

 

 

She’s been waiting to see you for too long.

 

 

-

 

 

"Not to boast or anything”, Nikita quite blatantly boasted, "But Stella, you kinda got a lucky draw on the Christmas tree. With Manny and I, you're safe, honey”.

 

 

"As did she”, Destorm added, “For this rat king battle”.

 

 

"Yeah”, Jesse concluded while spinning his gun.

 

"We've already got a weapon”.

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

“I wouldn’t speak so soon”.

 

Penelope sniffed.

 

 

"Candy Pop, Envy, and I are pretty decent fighters ourselves”.

 

 

"But then there's me”, Oli sighed.

 

 

"Yes, darling, but we can't think negatively at a time like this”.

 

 

-As soon as the backhanded remark registered, I saw Candy Pop choke on his own spit, Envy internally face-palm, and the poor guy wilt even further.

 

 

"Can we just get this over with?" Gabbie called out.

 

"If I'm gonna die, I'd like it to be a quick death”.

 

 

Saf, Matt, Ro, and I moved to stand by our bell which was conveniently right next to Mystic’s.

 

 

"It's okay, Mystic”, Safiya reassured her.

 

"Matt and I are pretty smart. We can come up with some good strategy”.

 

 

 

I rubbed my arms nervously.

 

 

I sincerely hoped so, yet…

 

 

 

I didn’t want anyone else to die.

 

 

 

"Everyone ready?"

 

 

Alison’t call-to-arms was met with a chorus of:

 

 

“Yeah!”s

 

“Um, I guess so?”s

 

 

And

 

 

“Nope!!”s

 

 

 

She raised a flag...and then meaningfully swung it down!

 

 

 

"Go!!”

 

 

 

**RING~!!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If we ALL survive this, it'll be a miracle.


	52. Army Of The Rats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get down to some old-fashioned fighting. With guns. Also a WARNING for said GUN USAGE.

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

The _Russian Dance_ from the bloody _Nutcracker_ started to play as a cloud of white sparkles abruptly swallowed up the four of us.

 

 

“Alright everyone.

 

Here’s the plan:

 

 

Envy and I will be on the front lines.

 

Meanwhile, Oli and Candy Pop, you make sure that no one gets in behind us.

 

 

Understood?”

 

 

“I’ve got it…”, Mr. Big Game Hunter said as they faded to reveal a stark, empty room.

 

Envy nodded.

 

 

“Understood, Candy Pop?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it…”

 

 

“Good”.

 

 

 

-A light on the opposite end of the room suddenly flashed to life, and there was the sudden haunting trill of a bell.

 

 

 

A wall slid up, and just like that…

 

 

 

The promised Army of Rats came marching in, robotic hides gleaming in the white-brightness.

 

 

We went for the barrel of weapons placed nicely against our corner.

 

 

 

"On the double, everyone!” she shouted as she aimed her automatic at the first wave of attack.

 

“Remember our strategy; shoot everything that moves”.

 

 

"But wouldn't that include us?"

 

 

Her hand swatted my cheek, making it sting.

 

 

 

**BOOM!!**

 

 

 

A hole opened up in the chest of her target.

 

 

Its red eyes blinked, sputtered, and then died as smoke rose from its torso.

 

 

 

I pulled back the safety of my own semi, and blasted away.

 

 

“Eat this, filthy machines!!”

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

Watching those two go to town on the ugly opposition, I knew I couldn’t just stand there feeling borderline useless.

 

 

Even Oli had begun to score some hits with his own rifle.

 

 

 

_Nobody can take that away_

 

 

 

I took a deep breath, and tried to focus.

 

My hands clenched themselves into fists-

 

 

Closed my eyes.

 

 

…Was it really still there?

 

 

No.

 

 

It _had_ to be!

 

 

It had to…

 

 

 

Tuning out the sounds of battle around me, I reached deep into my core-

 

 

_Are you there?_

 

_Please, I **need** you-!!_

 

 

I felt nothing.

 

 

_Come **on-**_

 

 

 

If I couldn’t figure this out, how would I be able to keep my friends safe!?

 

 

 

…A tiny spark.

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

Could it be?

 

 

 

 

"Hey rat pack!

 

Here's a ballet for ya!!”

 

 

 

I threw my arms out, and the ground exploded with plants, natural vines coiling around the metallic bodies of our enemy, and thrusting them against the wall with titanic force!

 

 

 

The welcome sounds of them shattering upon impact were soon drowned out by a sea of sparks.

 

 

 

 

“Ah, yeah, I _knew_ you could do it!!”

 

 

 

In no time, it was all over.

 

 

 

 

Oli hit the button, the bell rang once again, and the rest…was up to everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh joy. Now it's my turn...


	53. The Sled Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last leg of the relay.

-Alice-

 

 

When the lights faded, I blinked the snowflakes out of my eyes, and gasped.

 

Not only was it substantially colder out here, but there was also a gorgeous Winter landscape enfolding right in front of us-

 

 

 

“Ohhh, it’s so pretty!” Rosanna gushed.

 

 

“Yeah, but let’s not forget what we’re here to do”.

 

Matt started the trek to a sled perched precariously at the edge of a sheet of ice.

 

 

“We’ve got to find those Nutcracker pieces, or else we’ll probably all die”.

 

 

“I don’t think ‘probably’, is the word to use in this situation”.

 

 

Safiya climbed into the front alongside.

 

 

“Well…I would rather not do this with the absolute certainty hanging over my head”.

 

“You _do_ have a point there…”

 

 

She helped me into the back with Ro.

 

 

“Aw”.

 

Lightly patting my shoulder, the Jetsetter smiled warmly.

 

My nerves must have been showing on my face...

 

 

“Don’t worry…it’ll be okay, I know it!”

 

 

 

“Ready?” MatPat called.

 

“Ready!”

 

 

 

With a push from the snowy bank, we were off.

 

 

 

“-There’s one!”

 

 

Safiya plucked out a piece from the middle of a substantially-packed snowdrift.

 

 

“Got No. 2!”

 

Matt pulled one from beneath the sled’s runners.

 

 

“Just two more to go, now!” Rosanna cheered.

 

“Oh, here we are-“

 

 

She leaned over to grasp at something half-hidden at a drift perfectly at the center of Corner 3—

 

 

And promptly fell out.

 

 

 

“ROSANNA!!”

 

 

We all stared with horrified eyes as her yellow hat vanished fully into the powder.

 

 

 

“Stop!

 

We’ve gotta **stop-!!** ”

 

 

“On it”.

 

 

Safiya yanked hard to the right, but the ice was too slick-

 

 

 

“Don’t worry about me!

 

I’ll catch up-“

 

 

 

A forest-green sleeve popped up out of the snow, and waved a shining Nutcracker’s foot into the air.

 

 

 

“I’m gonna toss it!!”

 

 

 

1…

 

 

2…

 

 

 

 

**3…!!**

 

 

 

-It bounced off the back of my head, and landed neatly into my lap.

 

 

 

“Nice one!” Matt yelled behind him.

 

 

“Thanks! You’ve got this guys!!

 

Finish strong-“

 

 

“We will”, Safiya promised “Just as soon as Alice finds the last piece”.

 

 

 

I gulped.

 

 

The pressure was starting to get to me.

 

A little bit…

 

 

 

And the small stripe of gold that made up the **START/END** line was coming closer and closer by the second-!!

 

 

 

Hurriedly scanning the hills around us for any stray flashes of color, I ignored the frigid spray kicking up into my eyes, and the way my limbs were beginning to cramp from hunching over so much.

 

 

I could do this.

 

 

 

I _could!_

 

 

 

_-I saw it!!_

 

 

 

A glimmering Nutcracker face, just off to the left…

 

Lunging out, I felt my fingers latch onto the very tip of his helmet.

 

 

“I’ve got the last one-!”

 

 

“Good”.

 

“Hey, nice work!”

 

 

 

As we sped across the finish line, the three of us hastily gathered up the four pieces and presented them to Mystic.

 

 

-

 

**SNAP!**

 

-

 

 

The second cloud of white sparkles fell away from my vision, and I was promptly swept up into an overjoyed group hug!

 

 

“We did it, we did it-!!”

 

 

Rosanna was with us again, beaming from ear-to-ear.

 

 

“Yeah”, Matt laughed in relief.

 

“We sure did…”

 

 

“I hereby declare that Christmas should stay in Winter…for another six months”, Safiya added.

 

 

 

They then turned to me.

 

 

“Thanks a lot, Alice…”

 

 

 

We couldn’t have done it without you.

 

 

 

-

 

 

When we broke, it immediately became obvious which Group had won:

 

 

I could see Envy, Candy Pop, and Penelope in one corner right away.

 

 

 

If _they_ were still here (to my eternal relief), then…

 

 

 

 

My heart nearly collapsed out of my chest.

 

 

Stella…and her team…

 

 

 

They were…!?

 

 

 

 

**Dead…!!?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no...


	54. Innocent Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am not ready.

“-were great Oli!”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t know you were so good at this kind of thing”.

 

 

“I’m not, really…”

 

 

“Hey, Alice!!”

 

Candy Pop looked up, saw me, and waved like no tomorrow as I hurried over to their corner.

 

 

“We were just congratulating Oli on his understated sharpshooting skills”.

 

 

The Big Game Hunter smiled modestly.

 

 

“It’s not that big of a deal, honestly-“

 

 

“Nonsense”.

 

 

Penelope coughed.

 

 

“That was good effort you showed out there, and I must apologize in light of that.

 

For my…disparaging remark from earlier”.

 

 

“Apology accepted”, Oli said reluctantly, but kindly nonetheless.

 

“Although I’m not sure what there is to apologize about-“

 

 

He looked worried.

 

_Super_ -worried.

 

 

 

_“Annnnnd~”_

 

 

Candy Pop playfully elbowed his longtime friend.

 

 

“Shoulda seen your friend here tear up those rodents with nothin’ but plant!”

 

He was awesome!!”

 

 

Envy blushed a bright-green.

 

 

“N-no, it wasn’t that great.

 

I just…found my motivation to get my powers going again that’s all…”

 

 

“-Wait, you lost them!?”

 

 

“Uh-“

 

 

He blinked, an emotion I couldn’t name passing over his face-

 

 

“That’s-“

 

 

“-Oli?

 

Is everything alright?”

 

 

He’d gone rather pale in the span of half-a-second.

 

 

As the initial spark of victory had worn off…

 

 

“No…it’s Eva!

 

She was on the losing team, and-!”

 

 

 

“And now she might be on the chopping block for certain?”

 

 

 

Tears started to well up in his eyes as Penelope got right to the heart of it...

 

 

 

“Yes..."

 

 

 

I felt **heartsick**.

 

 

 

“D*.

 

I almost forgot about that”.

 

 

The Jester currently stuck in my body swore as a series of screens suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, showing into the different rooms…

 

 

Stella was shrinking away from a toppling Nutcracker giant-

 

 

 

 

Gasps and screams of horror filled the air!!

 

 

 

 

 

‘Stop the executions!’

 

 

Mystic’s desperate scream echoed throughout the monitors, loud and clear.

 

 

‘I want to use my third request’.

 

 

 

“What third request?”

 

“Beats me…”

 

 

 

The Nutcracker stopped its fatal descent.

 

 

 

‘Oh, and what's that?’

 

 

The Cursed God’s voice sent our nerves on edge.

 

 

‘Be sure to say it loud and clear’.

 

Lilith was there, too.

 

 

 

‘The others can hear you, now’.

 

 

 

She took a huge breath…

 

 

 

‘My third request is to save both teams from death’.

 

 

 

 

…As we all waited, barely daring to hope, he pondered.

 

Relentlessly **slowly**.

 

 

 

 

‘Please! Twenty people dying at once is too much for me’.

 

 

‘-I want to use my last request to second her request’, Stella supported.

 

 

 

‘But that's absurd’, his red-haired compatriot scoffed helpfully.

  
‘This is a **DEATH** challenge. Therefore someone must die’.

 

 

‘You didn't specify what the requests could and couldn't be used for’.

 

 

 

‘That's true’, he conceded.

 

 

 

…More waiting.

 

 

 

“Can somebody please just hurry up and do something already!?” Candy Pop complained.

 

 

 

-As if he’d been heard:

 

‘I shall honor half of your requests. My love, you will first be allowed to save half of her team and, once you have made your picks, she will be allowed to save a quarter of her team’.

 

 

 

Envy did the math at light speed.

 

 

 

“That would mean five-!!”

 

 

 

‘Make your choices.

  
Who will live and who will die?’

 

 

 

 

‘Well, obviously, I choose to save Stella first’.

 

 

‘Thank you, Mystic! Thank you’.

 

 

 

I sighed.

 

_Phew..._

 

 

Poor Stella had been through enough already.

 

 

 

‘Um.

I'll also save........Justine’.

 

 

With a puff of smoke, she appeared on-screen.

 

 

‘JC.

 

Sunny’.

 

 

'Oh thank God!’ she seemed as if she might sink to the ground in exhaustion.

 

 

‘Sierra.

 

Kasey.

 

 

Eva’.

 

 

 

Oli’s shoulders sagged as if a great weight had been lifted.

 

 

 

‘Hyacinthe.

 

Tyler.

 

 

And Nikita’.

 

 

 

 

‘And your five?’

 

 

 

 

Stella’s first two were no surprise to anyone.

 

 

 

‘Roi and Teala’.

 

 

 

Candy Pop let out a stifled laugh.

 

 

 

‘Manny’.

 

 

 

‘I thought I was a goner’, he gasped as Nikita yanked him gratefully into her arms.

 

 

 

“Two more left now…”, Envy murmured.

 

 

 

 

‘Guys? Where are you? Where'd you go?’ Tana quavered in Screen 1.

 

All alone…

 

 

Screen 2 had Shane, Jesse, Tim, and Destorm together in a huddle.

 

 

‘Shoudn't we be dead by now?’

 

 

‘You didn't hear the message? Fifteen of our team's getting saved’.

 

 

 

‘Fifteen!?’

 

 

 

Screen 3 and 4 were both empty, but Screen 5?

 

 

Lele was doing everything shy of climbing _into_ the ring of flowers surrounding her on a quest to find the now-missing teammates.

 

 

‘Hey!

 

Where the **h*** are you, guys!?’

 

 

 

The last screen.

 

 

Matt Haag stood there, out on the ice, just as confused.

 

 

 

‘What's going on? Where'd you go?

 

 

Why didn't I go too?’

 

 

 

 

‘Destorm…

 

 

And Tana’.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, here we go”.

 

 

Candy Pop gave me a poke as Tim was forcibly relocated to the Tree room, and Shane to the Baking area.

 

 

 

“Don’t freak out”.

 

 

 

 

Sirens erupted through the tense silence, making us all wince and cover our ears.

 

 

 

‘What's going on?

 

What's that sound!?’

 

 

The Mobster strained and attempted to escape from the wall as the trees sprouted long, hypodermic needles, and spun in for the kill.

 

 

 

‘Wait, what? **No!**

 

Gimme a second chance!! Didn't you see me!? I kicked a* in that battle! C'mon!!’

 

 

 

But when the first few blades entered his skin, green fluid ran up his veins, and made his body swell-

 

 

 

“Don’t look!”

 

Envy quickly went to cover my eyes.

 

 

 

“You DON’T want to see this, trust me”.

 

 

 

 

The **screaming** was enough to make me shiver-

 

 

 

 

‘What the h* is this?’

 

 

Jesse.

 

 

 

The clattering of rats’ feet filled the air…red beams of light leaked through his protective fingers.

 

 

 

 

‘Are you kidding me?

Is this **REALLY** how I'm gonna die?’

 

 

 

They were on him, they must've been-!!

 

How sharp were those **teeth!!?**

 

 

His screams soon joined with Tim’s.

 

 

 

‘Guys?’

 

 

N-now Shane-

 

 

‘Are you serious? Sending me to the baking room to die? At least let me have something to eat first.

 

Oh **s*!’**

 

 

 

 

The wet sound of something becoming lodged-in-something-else-

 

Then dragging noises and a titanic **SLAM**.

 

 

 

‘Is this some sort of prank?’

 

Lele…

 

 

‘It's not funny!’

 

 

 

The haunting whirr of buzz-saws grew closer…and closer…

 

 

 

“Oh, yuck”.

 

 

Candy Pop sounded half-grossed out, half-intrigued.

 

 

 

“Where’s my popcorn- **OW!!** ”

 

 

 

I could only guess that Penelope had stomped on his foot.

 

 

 

‘Guys! Get me out of here. _Please!_

 

Jesucristo, Santa María, Espíritu Santo, por favor, sálvame. ¡Ten piedad de mi! ¡No quiero morir-‘

 

 

 

More screaming, partially overlaid with the most-bloodcurdling hacking sounds I had ever heard-

 

 

 

 

‘Hey! What's going on?’

 

And Matt.

 

 

 

‘Why didn't you save me?

 

Why didn't I get saved?

 

 

Why am I the one to die!?’

 

 

 

-At that…at the helpless anger, fear, and sadness lacing his defeated, protesting words…I finally **broke**.

 

 

 

Feeling Envy’s arms tremble as he held me close to his chest, I started to cry…

 

 

 

A harsh cracking told me everything I needed to know about what was about to happen to _him_.

 

 

 

 

After what seemed like a torturously-long time, I heard him uselessly gasp for air:

 

‘I hope you're happy’.

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

..

 

 

..

 

 

..

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

  
I didn’t hear any more, and my quiet cries devolved into painful sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost made myself cry. I am so sorry...


	55. Escape The Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, now that the challenge is officially over it's time to get out fast!

-Envy-

 

 

That…that was **horrible** …

 

I didn’t think I would ever be able to get their final screams out of my head…

 

 

 

A third cloud of white sparkles bloomed in the air, and when it cleared, the team members who had been saved re-appeared in the theatre.

 

 

 

All standing in a ring around the unconscious form of Mystic.

 

 

 

 

“Oh for-!?

 

What happened NOW!!?”

 

 

Candy Pop sounded half-exasperated, half-worried.

 

 

“She…I don’t think she could handle the…the…!!”

 

 

Stella dropped to her knees, and began to cry helplessly.

 

 

 

As a few of the other Writers came to comfort her, the Cursed God and his cohorts strode out of the shadows.

 

 

“…Clear a path, please.

 

My love is not well-!”

 

 

“Yeah, you’ll have to wait in line”.

 

 

He moved to block them, along with Matt, Safiya, and Rosanna.

 

 

“-It is you who will have to wait!”

 

 

 

A murderous fire burned in his violet eyes, and he shot a pure stream of darkness from his palms.

 

 

 

“-!!”

 

 

I thrust out an arm, and quickly shielded them with a barrier of plants.

 

 

“Thanks!”

 

“No problem…”

 

 

 

“Everyone! Go back through the portal-!!”

 

Sweat ran down Alison’s brow with the effort of keeping it open for so long…

 

 

 

Writers and Guests alike began to stream toward the exit.

 

 

 

“NO ONE is going anywhere!!”

 

 

 

The portal froze, causing a tumult of fear to spread throughout the room-

 

 

 

 

“Not unless you hand Mystic over to me”.

 

 

 

“-In your dreams!”

 

 

 

Matt took hold of the unconscious girl’s feet while Safiya picked her up under the arms.

 

“We have to get her out of here-“

 

 

“I’m on it”.

 

 

I flipped the stage up and on top of our three pursuers.

 

 

 

“Whoa! Nice one”.

 

 

 

 

“Hey…Alice?”

 

 

She tearfully looked up from the crook of my arm.

 

 

“Everyone’s going back now…”

 

“Okay…Okay!”

 

 

Frantically brushing the stray teardrops out of her eyes, she raced into the growing crush of people.

 

Hand firmly clutching mine as if she were afraid that I would suddenly disappear.

 

 

 

 

“I’ve almost got the curse undone”, Calliope announced.

 

“Just…need a little more…time…”

 

 

Gold sparks flew from her fingers and melted the dark ice into tiny chunks.

 

 

“Hey, why not have Envy just bash it in with his vines?”

 

 

“That would destroy the portal itself, Candy Pop”.

 

 

 

“F*”.

 

 

 

“Then…I’ll try to do some damage!!”

 

 

Tana withdrew a bouquet of lollipops from the wide neckline of her dress, and started heaving them at the Cursed God’s head one right after the other.

 

 

 

He easily smacked each of them aside-although that wasn’t much of a surprise, to be honest…

 

 

 

 

Alice sent a ball of dream energy arcing over us, and-

 

 

BOOM

 

 

 

We all felt the shockwaves as it exploded!!

 

 

 

 

“Almost…there!!”

 

 

 

 

**SHATTER-**!

 

 

 

 

Mortimer dove to catch her as the SAE member crumpled to the ground in exhaustion.

 

“We can go now-let’s move!!”

 

“JUST one moment”.

 

 

A hand snapped out and caught Penelope around the wrist-

 

 

“What do YOU want!?”

 

 

She was poised to kick him right where it…

 

 

 

“You shan’t leave without **them** ”.

 

 

 

Ten glass jars with floating spirits inside.

 

Her eyes grew as large as dinner plates.

 

 

 

“Are those-!!?”

 

 

“Yes”.

 

 

These are the souls of those who have passed on thus far.

 

 

 

“She…she doesn’t want them!!”

 

 

It took her a moment to find her voice.

 

 

 

“I know…but I insist that you take them regardless”.

 

 

 

Leveling him with a suspicious, yet rattled glare, she lifted them from his grip.

 

 

 

“Fine. But she _still_ won’t be happy”.

 

 

“-Assuming she even **leaves** with you that is”.

 

 

 

Candy Pop and I rushed to hide the retreating trio from his view.

 

 

 

“You’ll have to deal with _us_ if you want to get to _her_!”

 

 

 

“It’s just you guys now-“

 

 

“Comin’ kiddo!!”

 

 

 

“Not. Yet”.

 

 

While the Demon King was able to slip into the castle in time, _I_ was wrenched back-

 

 

“-!!”

 

“Have you forgotten?

 

There’s still somewhere you have to be”.

 

 

Lilith’s arm snaked around my waist-

 

 

“Maybe we should dial down that power of yours a bit, hm?”

 

 

“Let go-”

 

 

Nicholas pinned my own arms behind me.

 

 

“Not a chance”.

 

 

I could see her fishing for a dark Teastone-

 

 

 

No.

 

 

No way!

 

 

 

I wasn’t going **anywhere-**

 

 

He swallowed a grunt as my knee found his sensitive area, and the other two struggled to hold on as I attempted to rip my captive limbs loose-

 

It didn't do much more than stun, but I kept pushing anyhow.

 

 

 

His veins darkened with magic; his hand was about to-

 

 

My mind and body seized up as the memories of first him, then Calvin rending power from my chest swallowed everything else.

 

 

 

In a series of three, distinct blows.

 

 

First Lilith, then the Carnival Master, then even the _Cursed God_ were blown away from me.

 

 

 

_“Don’t you **dare** hurt him!!”_

 

 

“Thank you, Alice-“

 

 

“C’mon, c’mon, I don’t want to lose you already!”

 

 

 

 

We crashed into a concernedly-peeking Rosanna and C.P.

 

 

 

 

“OW!! My nose-“

 

 

“Oh thank goodness you two are okay!!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mystic...you gonna be okay?


	56. Round And Round The Mulberry Bush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We go.

-Candy Pop-

 

 

Alison finally let the portal down-and about passed out!

 

And I didn’t see what happened to her next because Penelope shuttled the four of us off to some unused bedroom in this giant-a* house.

 

And in it, of course, were the Usual Suspects practically smothering her with cold washcloths.

 

 

Eventually, she groaned, and tried to get up.

 

 

 

"Whoa, not yet”, Saf the Statue cautioned.

 

“You were convulsing a little”.

 

 

"What's it with you and passing out?" Nikita asked.

 

"Is it some sort of damsel-in-distress thing or ingenue trait or what?"

 

 

"I'm not......either.....of those....things”, she protested weakly.

 

 

"Are you sure about that? Cuz you keep needing us to come to your rescue”.

 

 

 

Just thought I’d point that out…

 

 

 

"I never asked for you to rescue me, j*s!

 

You're all overly sheltering of me”.

 

 

 

"I mean, in case you don't remember, the fate of the universe kinda rests on whether or not you're with the Cursed God, so it's not without reason”.

 

 

Colleen agreed with me!

 

**FINALLY** , someone does…

 

 

 

“-Hey, by the way, where the h* are we?"

 

 

 

We’re gonna switch topics now, huh?

 

 

 

"Back at the mansion/castle thing”, Envy replied.

 

"We took you back after you passed out”.

 

 

 

"And the Cursed God?"

 

 

 

-A flash of fear in her eyes.

 

 

 

"He tried to take you while you were out cold. It was really creepy. He was like Smeagol with the ring about you”.

 

 

 

Shuddering slightly, her gaze roved from him, to the sash Penelope was now wearing…

 

 

 

 

"What are those?"

 

 

"The souls of the five who died, along with Arya, Celeste, Cyrille, Kyrie, and Ciel”.

 

"I told him it wouldn't make me feel better if he bottled the souls up for me!”

 

 

"He insisted on it anyway”.

 

 

 

Rolling those peepers of hers, she fully stood up, and was about to just waltz on out of here like nobody’s business-

 

I grabbed her arm.

 

 

 

_Nuh-uh!_

 

We were **NOT** doing this **AGAIN-**!!

 

 

 

"Where do you think you're going?"

 

"Away from this place”.

 

 

"Not on our watch. This time we're making sure you stay with us. All it'll take is Penelope's skills. Someone come help me hold her down!”

 

 

Safiya, Penelope, and even ALICE (don’t ask me how that one happened, ‘cause I don’t know either!) along with a few other Guests joined me in wrestling this one onto a random couch.

 

 

 

**CHOMP-!!**

 

 

 

_ARE YOU FR*N KIDDING ME!!?”_

 

 

I grasped my sore arm-

 

 

Shark-like teeth marks.

 

In the same **f*in** spot, too!!

 

 

 

“Ow-!”

 

 

“Mystic, you ruffian-!!”

 

 

“B*!

 

The **h*** you just bit me-“

 

 

“Ohmagod girl, those _incisors-_!!”

 

 

“Oww, why!!?”

 

 

 

-Rosanna and Alice were lucky enough to let go.

 

 

 

Safiya, Penelope, Nikita, Manny, and Justine, were not.

 

 

 

 

 

Following her rapid footsteps out the door and down the hall, we chased her straight out of that castle, and up to some farm stand.

 

 

“-I wish the others would be stuck frozen until I get the h* outta here!"

 

 

 

A farm stand full of _Teastones!!?_

 

 

Are you s*n me right now!!!!???

 

 

 

 

"Oh you m*f*—!”

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

"That b*!”

 

 

I furiously rubbed my hands through my mussed-up hair.

 

 

 

I’d regained the ability to move right when she f*in disappears, of course.

 

 

 

"Took the words right outta my mouth”, Nikita growled.

 

"She's gonna pay for this!”

 

 

"Maybe if we just sent one of us out there-“

 

 

Matt’s suggestion was interrupted by a quiet, yet nutty laugh.

 

 

…

 

 

 

_Really?_

 

 

 

Safiya, was on the ground, curled up in a fetal position.

 

 

Eye _twitching._

 

 

 

"Oh f*…”.

 

I sighed…

 

 

 

“Here we go again”.

 

 

 

"Mystic......My poor baby girl....she's in danger”.

 

 

Bounding upright like an obsessed rocket, she went for the last bag, and pulled out a Teastone of her own.

 

 

 

 

"I wish Mystic was back with us”.

 

 

No glow, no dust, no nothin’.

 

 

“I wish Mystic was back with us”.

 

 

Nada.

 

 

“I wish Mystic was back with us!”

 

 

Still no good-

 

 

“I WISH MYSTIC WAS BACK WITH US-!!”

 

 

 

_Annnnd_ still no good.

 

 

 

“Why isn’t it working!!?”

 

"I think Mystic may have cast a spell to prevent you from bringing her back”.

 

Penelope looked pretty tired of this farce, herself.

 

 

“Grrrr **RRRRRR** -!!!!”

 

 

She shook like a wet dog, eyes blazing with enraged fire!

 

 

"I wish we were at her location”.

 

 

…Man, even _that_ was a no-no!?

 

 

“D*, does this girl have it all planned out?"

 

 

"I guess she lives up to her namesake”, Stella shrugged.

 

 

Erica shook her head.

 

 

"That's not what a Mystic does”.

 

 

 

"Fine!"

 

 

The crazed Statue tried again.

 

For the billionth time.

 

 

 

"I wish that we were near her general location”.

 

Absolutely zilch.

 

 

 

 

If this kept up, I was going to run out of synonyms for ‘zero effects whatsoever’.

 

 

 

"Okay, sc* it! I wish we were out of this and out of the Cursed God's lair and a few miles from her location”.

 

 

 

 

A golden glow surrounded all of us.

 

 

It was about fr* time!!

 

 

 

 

By now, it was moonlight central.

 

 

While aimlessly trudging along in our seemingly never-ending quest to find Mystic, I dropped to the back of the group where Alice and Envy happened to be.

 

 

“Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to go chasing her down-

 

 

Uh, what’s up?”

 

 

 

Envy was paler than a ghost, and shivering.

 

 

“He got frozen”.

 

 

“…W-why would she do that-!?”

 

 

“Because she didn’t want to get followed?”

 

 

“No, she KNEW-“

 

 

“Knew what?”

 

 

“Knew that I-“

 

 

 

He stopped cold, arms wrapping around himself tightly enough to hurt.

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

“…If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay-“ Alice reassured.

 

 

“No, I have to”.

 

 

 

He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again.

 

 

 

 

“I have to”.

 

 

 

 

-Rosanna-

 

 

 

"----possible for her to be here! There's nothing”.

 

Andrea R. was so frustrated-

 

 

"Well, my tracking device says she's right here, and it exhibits ninety-nine point nine percent accuracy”.

 

Penelope was so certain.

 

 

 

"Then maybe this is the 0.1% chance that it's wrong”.

 

And Andrea B. just thought there were technical problems.

 

 

 

"No”.

 

Poor Safiya laughed, but it didn’t sound like her at all.

 

 

 

"I'm certain that my precious is here. I can sense her. She is **_definitely_** here!!"

 

 

 

"Can someone please unkookify this crazy b*?”

 

Nikita’s fists clenched and unclenched.

 

 

I was worried that she was going to strangle her!

 

 

 

"She's starting to get on my nerves”.

 

 

 

"Well of course she is”, Manny agreed.

 

"She's getting on my nerves too. None of us had any sleep because Lil Miss Drama Queen wants to play hide and seek”.

 

 

 

"Okay, but why?" his best friend asked mildly.

 

"Why does she keep running off?"

 

 

 

Keeping one eye on my girl (why was she making chipmunk noises? And digging in the dirt!?), and the other on the conversation-

 

 

 

"I keep trying to get her to tell me, but there's no dice!”

 

Poor Candy Pop…

 

 

He sounded so fed up.

 

 

 

…Out of the blue, a soft little lullaby began to play…

 

 

 

Dance of the…of the…

 

 

Sugar Plum…

 

 

 

Fairy…

 

 

 

 

"Wait, what's going on?"

 

Alice settled herself down upon a patch of grass.

 

 

 

"Why do I feel extra sleepy!?"

 

 

 

"I do as well”.

 

I couldn’t help but yawn-

 

 

 

"Maybe someone put a spell on us”.

 

 

 

"I bet I know who”, Penelope murmured.

 

Her eyes fluttered…

 

 

 

"I.....told you.....I was right”.

 

 

 

"That.....little….!”

 

Candy Pop tried to fight it, but even a Demon couldn’t resist the wave of tiredness affecting us all.

 

 

 

 

“-bi.....zzzzzz”.

 

 

 

 

 

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. I don't know where this is gonna go, now...


	57. Starlit Unity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Some time to speak to each other-

-Alice-

 

 

At first, I thought I was dreaming.

 

But…

 

 

As my back grew used to the sensation of resting upon something soft, it soon became clear to me that I wasn’t.

 

 

 

 

My eyelids fluttered, and pale-blue light filtered through the black haze.

 

…It was night wasn’t it?

 

Upon opening them, I was…

 

 

In awe.

 

 

 

I didn’t know how I’d gotten on top of the clouds, or why the stars were in bright technicolor, but that was what I was seeing now and-

 

 

 

I wasn’t alone up here.

 

 

 

 

“Ohhh…if Mystic wasn’t so important to keep alive I would’ve strangled her by now!”

 

Candy Pop blearily sat up on my right, blinking the remaining sleep out of his system.

 

 

 

“…What…what was that…?”

 

Envy gingerly lifted himself up and onto his elbow.

 

 

He was to my left.

 

 

 

“I think we got put under a spell”.

 

 

 

“Yeah, and I know I’m gonna yell at her for it later!” C.P. raged.

 

 

“Who?”

 

The tired elf rubbed a hand over his eyes.

 

“-Wait. Right. It was-“

 

 

“Uhh…what are we doing up here in orbit!?”

 

 

I shrugged…then was struck with a sudden realization.

 

 

“Oh.

 

I wonder if it’s-“

 

 

“-Because what!?”

 

 

“Because…”

 

 

I let out a weary sigh.

 

 

“Ever since the three of us have reunited, we’ve been on the run either trying to stay alive, or keep Mystic alive.

 

It’s gotten so that we barely even have the chance to talk, or catch up on anything”.

 

 

“That’s been bugging me, too”, Envy admitted.

 

 

“But that still doesn’t explain what this place is!”

 

 

“Well…”

 

 

I felt my right hand creep towards my neck.

 

 

 

“My dream energy might be responding to me desperately wanting what I just said”.

 

 

 

Candy Pop barked a short laugh.

 

“Never would’ve expected power incontinence from you, kid”.

 

 

“Sorry…”

 

 

“-I don’t think it’s something to be sorry for”.

 

Envy looked more relaxed now than I’d ever seen him.

 

 

“You were just worried about us”.

 

 

I smiled at my toes.

 

 

 

“So…why are you in Alice’s body?”

 

“-Let’s just say some stupid witches wanted to keep her from realizing that the story had gone off without her until they could put her into a second person’s body.

 

As a hostage, of sorts, for Mystic and Co”.

 

 

“And where are those witches now?”

 

 

“Off turning another person’s body into a container for their High Priestess, or some s*”.

 

 

The elf shuddered.

 

 

“Ugh…how awful!

 

Couldn’t anyone have stopped it!?”

 

 

“They were gone too quickly”.

 

 

The jester-turned-human shot me a knowing wink.

 

 

“Now how’s about we get the real big question out of the way?”

 

 

I held my breath until I couldn’t, and then burst out all at once-

 

 

 

“Envy,

 

 

_where have you been for so long I was so worried and I never stopped thinking about you once and-!!!”_

 

 

 

  
“You…”

 

“She’s had that one bottled up for a loooong time”.

 

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

I won’t lie.

 

When I heard her say that…

 

 

My eyes swam with tears.

 

 

 

“Oh no!

 

I’m so sorry-“

 

“No.

 

It’s-“

 

 

 

I fumbled for words.

 

 

 

“I just…I couldn’t stop thinking of you either-all I wanted was to get back to you, Alice-“

 

 

 

They kept falling, making it hard to see.

 

 

 

“I-the water was infected-“

 

“Yeah. I know, I heard from Mystic and everyone else”.

 

 

She reached out a hand, and placed it comfortingly upon my arm.

 

 

 

“Did I hurt you!?”

 

“No”.

 

 

A sigh of relief escaped me.

 

 

“If I did, I don’t know…if I would’ve been able to live with myself”.

 

 

“Well you didn’t, so don’t worry about it!”

 

 

 

“After that, I can only assume that I was neutralized by the SAE, am I right?”

 

“Yup…”

 

  
“From what I was told, it sounds like the Cursed God and his minions were able to essentially abduct me out of the bunker and to the house in the 1920’s”.

 

“The same one from Escape the Night!?”

 

 

“Yeah.

 

There…

 

 

…

 

 

 

Calvin basically tried to make me his mannequin boyfriend, along with trying to drain all of my power.

 

 

 

...For some ‘wedding’, thing”.

 

 

 

“THAT’S why everybody kept saying you and him were ‘getting intimate’, and ‘preparing for stuff’”.

 

 

I grimaced.

 

 

 

“Of course they would twist it”.

 

“Is that how you…lost your hand?”

 

I could barely hear Alice’s voice.

 

 

 

“Yes”.

 

 

 

 

-She glomped me in a hug!?

 

 

 

 

“You poor thing!

 

If I ever see Calvin again, I’m gonna punt him into the sun-!!”

 

 

“No you won’t”.

 

 

“…Well, _no_ but...I’ll still blast him a bunch!”

 

 

“-And _then_ I’ll punt him into the sun”.

 

“Okay”.

 

“Good”.

 

 

 

“Thanks…you guys”.

 

 

 

“So…what now?”

 

“I guess we just wait until we wake up”.

 

 

“Hold on”.

 

 

I just needed to ask:

 

 

 

“How many Tokens do we have now?”

 

 

“Three”.

 

 

 

They answered in perfect harmony, and then shot each other identical surprised stares.

 

 

 

“Three!?”

 

“Yeah, you missed the first two”.

 

 

“Well…”

 

 

 

I brushed the remnants of chlorophyll from my cheeks.

 

 

 

“I think we’ve got a few hours until sunrise…maybe”.

 

 

 

 

Why don’t you tell me about them?

 

 

 

-Candy Pop-

 

 

By the time that sleeping curse faded, Penelope was on her feet and drawing a circle in the dirt with a stick.

 

 

“…What are you doing?”

 

 

“Preparing to undo that infernal invisible barrier”.

 

 

“Invisible what-now?”

 

 

“Invisible barrier”, she repeated.

 

“Mystic’s obviously put one up around this tree so no one will be able to find her”.

 

 

“Can’t you just use a Wish Stone?”

 

 

“If she blocked us from following her via that mode of travel, then no doubt she will have made it so we cannot, in fact, use a Wish Stone to take the wards down, either”.

 

 

“Then…what are you doing?”

 

 

 

“Making a magic circle around the trunk.

If you’ll go and get your other two friends, plus Rosanna, we should be able to destroy it with their help”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It ain't over 'till it's over, and it ain't over yet.


	58. Break The Cycle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Radical solutions to same old problems.

“So, how are we supposed to do this exactly?”

 

 

The five of us were standing in a ring-just on the borders of Penelope’s magic circle.

 

 

“We need to overload the existing forces currently acting upon the tree”.

 

“Uh, in case you haven’t noticed, only two of us are super-powered”.

 

“Yes, but you’re all friends with Mystic in some form.

 

 

All you have to do is just…convince it to let down its guard”.

 

 

 

“Oh-kayyy…”

 

“It’s probably simpler than it sounds”, Envy tried to re-assure me.

 

 

“Yeah!”

 

Rosanna nodded resolutely.

 

 

“I just wish we didn’t have to go this far…”

 

Alice’s eyes clouded.

 

 

“Me neither, but desperate times call for desperate measures”.

 

 

 

She pulled out a new Wish stone.

 

 

 

“I wish my pocket watch was repaired”.

 

 

-

 

 

Sprinkling some used Wishing dust in a meticulous pattern, things were finally ready.

 

 

“Everyone, hold hands”.

 

 

A glare in my direction, as if daring me to make a joke.

 

I gave her my most innocent smile.

 

 

“Let’s hope no one’s had a cold recently”.

 

 

 

Rubbing elbows with Alice on my left, and Penelope on my right, we started this thing.

 

 

“Focus on the used-up Wishes in the center…focus until they glow!”

 

 

…I focused until I felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my head.

 

 

 

“I don’t think this is working-“

 

“Shush!”

 

 

 

D*t…at this rate, we were going to be standing here all day!

 

Why couldn’t Mystic just come to her senses already!?

 

We were just trying to help-

 

 

 

 

The flecks turned amber in color, and a faint heat radiated from within…

 

 

 

“Hey! We’re doing it!!” Rosanna cheered.

 

“Don’t let up until they are as bright as we can possibly make them!”

 

 

Wha-Did I do that!!?

 

 

 

Does this mean I have to mentally complain about her more?

 

 

 

 

Apparently so.

 

-At least, that’s the way it was for me.

 

 

 

With every passing second, the tiny crystals grew brighter, and brighter-

 

 

I could feel my heart burning to life in my chest!

 

 

Looking down, I could see a small, silvery light surrounding it-

 

 

 

Looking up, everyone else had one too:

 

Green for Envy, white for Alice, gold for Rosanna, and orange for Penelope.

 

 

 

The pressure on my heart increased until I thought that it would collapse!!

 

My teeth grit together as I strained to keep the bond growing-

 

 

With a wild **BOOM~**

 

 

 

They all burst into flames!

 

 

 

Sprawling cinnabar sparklers soared up the sides of the barrier, and reduced it to nothing more than creamy ash.

 

I almost sputtered when I saw the familiar-looking treehouse perched neatly in the topmost branches.

 

 

 

“-You’ve gotta be kidding me.

 

It really IS like last time!!”

 

 

“Yeah”, Ro said in surprise.

 

“There’s even the same window you broke”.

 

 

“Guess we better get up there…”

 

Envy’s annoyingly unfair height advantage allowed him to simply grab the edge of the deck, and step up.

 

 

“She’s sleeping”, he whispered down to us.

 

 

“She won’t be for long”, Penelope promised as she took his outstretched hand.

 

 

-

 

 

-Envy-

 

 

 

"Oh, for f*’s sake”.

 

 

Mystic looked less-than-pleased to see us all looming over her.

 

Penelope went for her first, followed by Candy Pop, then a reluctant Alice, and then an even _more_ reluctant, Ro.

 

 

I was about to bring up the rear when she flung herself out of range.

 

 

 

I.e. the other side of the bed.

 

 

 

 

"How the h* did you even get up here?"

 

"We undid the invisibility spell”, Alice told her.

 

"How did you even know---?"

 

"My tracking device is hardly ever wrong”, Penelope said self-assuredly.

 

“Now”.

 

 

 

She withdrew her newly-minted pocket watch.

 

 

"Got that fixed, did you?" Mystic snipped.

 

 

 

She opened it.

 

 

 

"Listen to what I have to say”.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, her ultra-soothing tone set off alarm bells.

 

 

 

"Oh h* no! You are  **NOT** hypnotizing me again!"

 

 

 

With an outlandish scream worthy of that yelling jungle guy in all the Disney films, she vanished out the window, and scrambled up the side of the treehouse like a spider.

 

 

"Well, that's one way to do it”, Candy Pop grumbled.

 

 

He hopped out after her, closely followed by Penelope.

 

Alice was the next to go, and I helped Rosanna up behind.

 

Craning my neck to see up to the roof top, I caught a glimpse of Safiya cackling mindlessly about something-

 

 

And there she was.

 

 

 

Mystic, slowly backing away from the insane Bat Queen.

 

 

 

Reaching out my good hand, I shot a stream of vines her way.

 

They gently wrapped around her torso, and began to nudge the errant girl back toward us-

 

 

She slipped free of my grasp in a brilliant flash of golden light, and, a second later, her now-lucid (and self-proclaimed) protector re-appeared on the forest floor.

 

 

 

 

Candy Pop swore a literal blue streak, and I found it difficult to keep my own cool.

 

 

First, I got frozen, nicely traumatizing the heck out of me, and now…

 

 

 

Now we’re back to Square One in terms of trying to keep her safe!

 

 

 

_You’re the hero of this, you make the choice._

 

_That's what I've been trying to do this whole d* time!_

 

 

_People still see me as incapable compared to others._

 

_But aren't you supposed to be considered independent at 18?_

 

 

…Or maybe.

 

 

 

Maybe _I_ was the one who was wrong.

 

 

-

 

 

-Alice-

 

 

 

Penelope paced around in frustrated circles while MRS whispered amongst themselves and everybody pretty much milled around in a funk.

 

After Mystic’s disappearance, it was generally accepted that the ‘teleport within five miles of her current location’, wish was going to be used a second time.

 

 

 

It was just a dilemma of what to do once she was tracked down again.

 

 

 

Envy leaned against the tree trunk, and I could tell that whatever it was that was going through his mind, it had something to do with the bag of Wish stones on the hip of Erica’s partner.

 

 

“What’s on your mind?”

 

“…Do you think letting her go is a good idea?”

 

“Well, she might get attacked by the Cursed God out there”.

 

“I know…but…”

 

 

“-But what?”

 

 

Both of us jumped as Candy Pop abruptly inserted himself into the conversation.

 

 

“What are we talking about doing?”

 

“Doing?”

 

“Yeah, doing.

 

You’ve got a suspicious look on your face”.

 

 

 

-Directed at Envy, not me.

 

 

 

“…

 

I can’t keep anything from you, can I?”

 

“Nope”, he agreed wholeheartedly.

 

“Now, what sort of mischief are we about to get into?”

 

 

“I was wondering if it would be possible to relieve the others of that handy bag of Wish Stones”.

 

 

 

My jaw dropped.

 

 

“You wanna-!”

 

“Shhh, not so loud.

 

She might hear you”.

 

“It’s not the best plan, I’ll admit, but…

 

It might be the best way to avoid having to chase after her every five minutes”.

 

“To just give her what she wants?”

 

“I mean, it’s worth a shot considering how everything _else_ anyone has ever tried around here has failed miserably…”

 

“But how would we even do this!?

 

She watches that bag like a hawk-“

 

“I don’t know, but what have we got to lose?

 

Besides our lives that is…”

 

 

 

I hated to think that this was our only option!

 

I **_hated_** it!!

 

 

 

 

“The Dream Team is NOT supposed to do bad stuff like snitch Wish stones that don’t belong to us!!!”

 

 

“‘The Dream Team’?

 

 

Candy Pop’s amusement was only too evident.

 

 

“Is that how you refer to us in private, or something?”

 

 

“Uhh…”

 

“It kind-of fits us, though”.

 

“You think so?”

 

 

 

I blushed a bright, cherry-red.

 

Hadn’t meant to say _that_ out loud…!

 

 

 

“I-I-this is **still** a bad idea!!”

 

 

 

 

 

“Even so, this is the only way I can think of for us to regain her trust”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this'll either make or break. Too early to tell which.

**Author's Note:**

> Candy Pop belongs to Jesterca/Grimace Jester.


End file.
